


The Missing Marauder

by maraudxrs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Angst, F/F, F/M, Hogwarts, Humor, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 02:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17133083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraudxrs/pseuds/maraudxrs
Summary: ❝My name's Lilah Darcy❞❝And I'm here to save you❞  she smirked at the boy who looked just like her former best friend.Well apart from his eyes. His eyes were of another friend of her's... Lily.[SIRIUS BLACK X OC] / Originally posted on Wattpad - https://my.w.tt/D1OZglv5TS





	1. 0 - Intro

MARAUDERS ERA/GOLDEN TRIO ERA STORY  
—  
❝My name's Lilah Darcy❞ 

❝And I'm here to save you❞ she smirked at the boy who looked just like her former best friend.

Well apart from his eyes. His eyes were of another friend of her's... Lily.  
—  
Story Structure:

1 MAIN TIMELINE CHAPTER - Golden Trio Era

FOLLOWED BY 1 MARAUDERS ERA CHAPTER - A non-chronological flashback from 1st year until 5 years after the deaths of the Potters', that adds to the context of the story and is equally as entertaining as the chronological golden trio era story


	2. 1 - Soon

It's time to return, I'll see you soon.

I have an opportunity and I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to be the one to kill him and I need your help.

He's out and I am going to find him.

_Filthy traitor._

I can't reveal my identity to you now, _professor_ but you'll find out in time.  
Perhaps you already know.  
I'm the one who went missing. The one presumed to be dead.

Together we can get rid of him.  
Avenge our friends. Avenge them for us, and Harry.

I trusted him when I was at my weakest point and he betrayed me and the Potters. They tortured me that night. Until I pretended to be dead. I would rather die than betray my friends.

I went to warn them; James, Lily, _Harry._ They tried to get the location from me but they couldn't. The truth is I didn't know where they were myself. Not for certain. Soon after I pretended to be dead one of his servants came in and they suddenly left. Like I said I tried to warn them. I really did but it was too late. I found someone crying over their bodies. An old friend to be exact. Black is the reason they're dead. Even you know that _Remus._

Don't ask questions _I can't reply._ All I can tell you for now is I've been _away._ Hiding in China. The Wizarding part.

And now I'm going go rescue _him._ Tomorrow at 10pm.

Hopefully you will receive this letter soon. Hopefully you will know who I am and how I know what I do. China isn't completely out of the loop you know.

Don't try to stop me Remus. I'm angry. 12 years of anger has been building up inside of me and I'm ready to blow. I'm angry like no other. He is going to feel my wrath. Hopefully you remember just a slight part of that from Quidditch...

What he has coming is 10 times worse. S.O.B is going to regret what he did.

_See you Soon - T.M.M_

* * *

 

The letter was picked up by the silver tawny owl and it soured off into the distance.

_Soon_

Remus Lupin

_Soon._


	3. 2 - Meeting The Marauders

**Flashback**

** First year: **

"Hey, can I sit here?" I asked opening the last compartment door, the train was busier than I could've ever possibly imagined.

'"Sure sit down'" the boy smiled. He was tall, he had light brown hair with matching eyes and a worried smile.

"My names Lilah Darcy and you are..?" I said hesitating, suddenly realising I didn't know the boy's name, I had to start making friends somewhere.

"Remus, Remus Lupin" he smiled yet again.

"Nice to meet you Remus." I said offering out my hand for a handshake which he accepted and shook in response, maybe this making friends thing was easier than they said?

"So are you excited about going to Hogwarts? I can't decide if I'm worried or not right now" I chuckled trying to make some kind of conversation.

"I'm excited but also worried. Much like you said."

"Are you worried about the sorting?"

"Yeah the sorting and-" he said stopping himself, he then sighed and looked out of the window.

"And?" I questioned

"Just.. The sorting that's all" he said looking more nervous than before.

The room hit an awkward silence.

But the silence didn't last long, it was suddenly pierced by trunk bursting open, books flying down everywhere like a snow shower, books hitting me and narrowly missing Remus.

"Oh my god." I laughed

"I'm so sorry Remus"

"It's okay Lilah. Some good books you have here" he said picking up Hogwarts A History and smiling.

"Ahh yes. I've never been a big reader but I've found these books fascinating.."

"Muggle-born?" He questioned not maliciously, simply curiously.

"No no no. Pureblood; not that its anything to be proud of" I shook my head and sighed at the same time. My mind flooded with thoughts about my pureblood obsessed grandmother and my idiotically submissive mother.

"What do you mean?" He said with a half knowing look. I say half knowing, I think he had an idea, but didn't want to expand and explain in fear of offending me. If his assumptions were incorrect. Which they certainly weren't...

"My close family, well siblings, are particularly lucky, we all have pretty open minds about blood purity but there's some in my family who well... Maybe don't share that view with us. You see my grandmother and mother have the belief that anyone pureblood or less is second class. Half bloods are apparently traitors and muggle-borns well they call them mud-bloods. I personally believe that we are all equal. Muggle-born witches and wizards and I have never particularly got along though but I don't have a sufficient reason for that." I Tried to explain in the nicest way possible, I didn't want to lose possible friendships over assumptions about me, because of my family name and the house we all always got sorted into.

" I see" he said a full knowing look now on his face. His assumptions were utterly correct.

It begun to get awkward again, the boy wanted to respond, to make things better to make me feel better about my families indifference but he didn't know how to begin, luckily he next thing we heard was a knock at the door.

"Hi can we sit here? There's no other spaces left" a tall boy said readjusting his thick round glasses.

"Sure" Remus said smiling and welcoming the three boys in a similar way to what he did for me, he was very welcoming, very pleasant.

"Hi I'm James, James Potter" The tall boy said extending a hand to Remus while I tried to put all the books we had forgotten to pick up back into my trunk to make space for the other boys.

"Here let me help you." A long haired boy said grabbing some books and putting them in my trunk overhead.

"Thanks" I smiled at him, sitting back down.

"Hello James I'm Remus and this is-" he said pausing waiting for me to answer.

"Lilah. But you guys can call me Darcy if you want. I don't really like either of my names. Blame my idiot of a mother" I groaned sitting down by the window opposite Remus and next to the boy with long hair.

"Lilah" Remus laughed. I have the feeling we are going to be great friends.

"Just telling the truth" I smirked back to him.

"So who are you guys again? I wasn't really listening. I know he's called Remus and you're called James but apart from that I have no idea." I said pointing at the two boys, being brutally and almost rudely honest.

"Let's just all introduce ourselves again, shall we?" Remus smiled.

"Sure!" The boy with glasses said happily. "I'm James Potter" he beamed.

"I'm Pet-er , Pett-I-grew" the short boy sat near the door stuttered. Probably a Hufflepuff. They always seem to be nervous when you meet them. They are the type of people who come across as shy and innocent when you first meet them but are hilarious and very out-there when you get to know them.

"Remus Lupin" the boy I knew and liked the most said.

"Lilah Darcy" I introduced myself fully to the 4 boys.

" I'm Sirius Black" the boy next to me smirked. Making me wrinkle my nose and look away.

Urgh a Black. Their family are full of pureblood obsessed idiots. But then again can I really talk?

My family and theirs have never really got along. Sure we are both pureblood families but the Black family are insane. 'The Nobel House Of Black' they like to call themselves. More like the 'Psychopathic House Of Black''. I guess that's what happens when your family is so obsessed with being pureblood that you interbreed. At least my family went for European purebloods rather than our cousins.

We have a longstanding family rivalry and hatred. I'm surprised he didn't simply attack me for saying my name. I'm surprised he still hasn't put two and two together.

"Ok..." I said raising my eyebrows. Making Remus give me a glare mouthing 'Stop'.

"Problem?" The boy I now knew as Sirius smirked from beside me looking very amused.

"Nope. None at all." I said trying to suppress a laugh.

"What?" He said now looking aggravated.

At that very moment my trunk exploded again.

"What the hell!" The Sirius boy said as everything fell on his head.

"I must've broke it when I dropped it down the stairs" I shrugged picking up a book at looking at the cover.

"Why didn't you use a levitation charm?" He said in a bored tone,trying to make me look like an idiot.

"Maybe because I haven't learnt the levitation charm yet. You know we haven't even had one lesson at Hogwarts ?" I said rolling my eyes yet again.

"Muggle-born?" He asked. A weird expression on his face. I couldn't tell if he was disgusted or simply just bored .

I really wish people would stop mistaking me for a muggle born though. It shouldn't bother me but as someone from a family like mine it was considered almost shameful, it was like being called stupid.

"No" I said clenching my jaw.

"What are you then?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"Pureblood I don't see why that matters though. But then again you are a Black" I shrugged Remus giving me more glares. I know, my mouth doesn't seem to have a filter today.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked that oh so familiar amused expression on his face.

"Well your family are insane" I said Remus now giving me even stronger glares and making James move awkwardly in his seat.

"True, but yours aren't?" He laughed at my annoyance.

"Please you hadn't even heard of my family you thought I was a Muggle Born! I must say I'm surprised more than anything I mean considering the _family past"_

"Family past?" He said scratching his head in confusion.

"You know-" I whispered into his ear.

"Oh my god you're a Darcy!" He said a now shocked expression on his face.

"No shit Sherlock" I shook my head, earning a chuckle from Remus.

"Sherlock?" He asked giving James a confused look.

"No idea mate" he replied shrugging.

"It's a famous muggle book series about a detective called Sherlock Holmes from London. It's pretty good if I say so myself" Remus explained to the boys while Peter sat eating sweets.

"Right" Sirius now said.

"How did your family allow muggle literature into their home?" Sirius asked genuinely curious, knowing we had had practically the exact same upbringing.

"Oh it wasn't knowingly, my cousin snuck it in one Christmas"  I began to answer before James interrupted.

"Anyway let's move on from _that_..." James said trying to remove the residual tension from the room.

"What houses do you guys want to get into?" James asked looking like he was going to explode at any moment.

"You?" I chucked knowing he was dying to answer.

"Gryffindor" he said proudly.

"I'm not too sure where I belong" Remus scratched his head.

"Either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor for me, I think" Remus answered.

"Swot" I hear Sirius cough with that smirk that seemed to be always plastered on his face making me roll my eyes yet again.

"Gryffindor" Peter beamed now seeming more confident and earning a high five from James.

"Slytherin" I admitted. I wouldn't want to anger my beloved grandmother. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad either, almost half my family belong to Ravenclaw now, the good ones. It's a good Darcy vs bad Darcy stereotype. But if you become a Ravenclaw as a Darcy you aren't disowned but you suddenly are lesser and I don't want that for myself, for anyone.

"Slytherin? Why the hell would you want to be in that house. The house of the snakes" James shuddered looking disgusted.

"Hiss hiss" I winked jokingly.

"Um. Slytherin too I think. My family wouldn't accept any other house." Sirius shrugged.

"Maybe I'll get a different house though" he added.

"We'll just have to wait and see..." I said picking up a book and starting to read it.

* * *

 

"Should we wake them?" I heard a whisper. I must've fallen asleep...

"Yes I don't want to be stuck with the sleepy losers any longer" a boy who I am sure was Sirius said.

"Shut up or I'll hex you" I mumbled moving in my chair. I'm tired and I have a good reason.

"How are you going to hex me if you don't even know the levitation charm?" He asked smugly, simply asking for a fight in my mind. I snapped up instantly, still half asleep "what did you say?"

My idiot of a cousin ( who I actually love) kept me up all night playing wizards chess and listening to muggle rock bands which again I don't know how he snuck into the house alongside my younger cousin.

I was used to Articus being away but I'm going to miss Jacob a lot.

He comes to Hogwarts next year though so I won't be alone here long. I mean there is some of my other cousins like Leo at Hogwarts, but I don't think he'd want a first year hanging out with him.

Our cousins are the Ravenclaw branch of the family so it all falls down to me and my brother to carry on the 'family legacy''

"I don't think she's your biggest fan mate" I heard James laugh.

"Correct" I said pulling myself up and scratching my head.

"Why did you wake me?" I said sleepily my voice cracking mid-sentence.

"We're nearly at Hogwarts, you might want into change into your robes. " James said.

"Good idea" I sighed shoving my Jacket into my trunk and grabbing my robes.

"Nice shirt" Sirius said pointing to the band shirt I was wearing.

"Thanks. I love Wizarding rock bands" I smiled relived that someone else shared my taste in music.

"Muggle rock bands aren't half bad either" I smirked sending him a wink almost wanting to aggravate him, walking out of the cabin in searching of a bathroom to get changed in.

* * *

 

"I'm so sorry!" A red headed girl said accidentally running into me and spilling pumpkin juice all over my clothes.

"It's fine" I groaned slightly annoyed. I hope it didn't go on my robes, I pretended it was fully ok, not wanting to make enemies yet.

"I'm Lily, Lily Evans" the girl introduced herself while wiping pumpkin juice off herself too.

"Hi, I'm Lilah Darcy" I said with a smile.

"Are you a first year too?" She asked.

"Yeah I am"

"Lily come on! I want to introduce you to my friends" a greasy haired boy stuck his head out of a compartment and said to Lily.

"Wait one second Severus!" She said getting annoyed. Looks like I'm not the only one with a short temper.

"Who's this?" He asked giving me a weird look.

"Oh this is Lilah. I spilt pumpkin juice on her" Lily explained making me laugh.

"Oh hi I'm Severus." He now smiled.

"Nice to meet you."

"Darcy! What's taking you so long" a voice from behind me groaned also sticking his head out of a compartment. It was Sirius. The greasy haired boy I now knew as Severus' head almost turning backwards as he heard my surname.

Typically it was Black. I haven't even known him a full day and I can already recognise his annoying voice and already don't like him. If all the Blacks are like him I definitely understand why their family got into fights with mine. I would explain what happened all those years ago but that's a story for another time, another day.

"Go away Black" I groaned back.

"Who's that?" Lily whispered to me giving him the same look Severus gave me.

"Nobody important" I smiled as Sirius pretended to be hurt.

"That hurt Darcy it really did." He said sarcastically putting a hand over his heart.

"Anyway who's this?" He asked giving us a strange look.

"Oh that's Lily Evans. And the boy back there that's Severus-" I paused

"I have no idea what your surname is" I laughed turning back to him.

"Snape" he answered.

"Severus Snape" I now completed my sentence.

"Right" he said raising his eyebrows giving us all a disgusted look and then going back into the cabin

"Well he's nice!" Lily said sarcastically.

"Don't worry about him. He's an arse"

"That I agree on" Severus said in a flat tone. I know this may sound weird but I like his voice...

"See you guys later yeah? I asked turning around, spotting a bathroom to get changed in.

"For sure" Lily smiled.

"Bye" Severus said sticking his head back into the compartment and re-joining his 'friends'.

"I like her... also do you know who she is?" I heard Severus whisper to Lily as she also re-entered the compartment.

"Me too" she whispered back.

* * *

 

"Okay first years into boats in NO MORE THAN FOURS" the tall bearded man shouted as me and Remus talked.

"LILAH!" I heard Lily scream from behind me.

"Lily" I smiled turning around. She can really shout for a small girl.

"Come in a boat with me and Sev?" She asked giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Sure but I'm dragging Remus with me" I laughed looking up at him. He's at least twice the height of Lily. It's quite funny actually.

"Okay" Lily smiled as we all got into a group and lined up for a boat.

"Oi Darcy" I heard a boy shout from behind us. This time it wasn't Sirius. It was James. I like him. Well I think I do.

"Who's your friend?" He said pointing to Lily.

"Oh that's Lily, Lily Evans" I said her turning around at the mention of her name.

"Hello?" She said warily.

"Lily that's James, James Potter"

"Nice to meet you" she said before turning back around and talking to Sev again.

"Wow" James sighed.

"You got a crush?" I whispered into his ear, Remus giving him an amused smile.

"No!" He denied too quickly for someone 'telling the truth'.

"If you're sure Potter" I patted him on the back turning away before Black could join our conversation. I don't know if I like Sirius or not...

"Okay names?" The tall bearded man said in his Scottish accent.

"Lilah Darcy"

"Remus Lupin"

"Severus Snape"

"Snivillus" I heard James snigger making me turn around and give him daggers as well as Lily.

"Lily Evans" we all gave our names getting into the boat one after another.

The boat drifted off from the shore and the beautiful surroundings soon became apparent.

"The castle is so beautiful" Lily exclaimed as we got closer.

"I'm too busy on trying to not fall out of the boat" Severus murmured making me chuckle. It was truly a mood.

"The sky looks so beautiful tonight I love a crescent moon" Lily sighed in awe of the surroundings. In awe was exactly the word for it. Even I was in awe right now even as someone accustomed to the wizarding world it was breathtaking, I couldn't even imagine what it must've felt like as a muggle born.

"As do I Lily, as do I" Remus sighed.

"Darcy" I heard a voice yell from behind me. This boy is going to be the bane of my existence for the next seven years, I can tell already. I just hope he gets put into a different house to me, although I think that's unlikely considering our upbringings, family and our families history.

"What do you want Black" I groaned in no need to turn around, I knew it was him.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked sounding shocked as their boat slowly came to the side of ours.

"Your voice is annoying enough to remember." I rolled my eyes. While Remus sat there trying not to laugh.

"Your shredding my ego Darcy, you really are " he said doing the whole fake hurt thing again.

"Give it a rest Black" I groaned turning back around and talking to the people in my boat.

The next thing I felt was a ton of water being splashed on my back. He is going to die.

"You're going to pay for that one Black" I groaned In anger, splashing water back at him and into his hair.

"Not the hair Darcy not the hair!" He yelled.

"Oh boo hoo"

The next gush of water soaked me and Remus. He was not looking amused anymore.

"Too far black too far" I said reaching over the side of the boat to try and pull him in the water when Lily screamed.

"LILAH YOU'RE MAKING THE BOAT TIP"

"STOP "

"STOP"

" STOP "

Severus looked beyond alarmed and just dragged me back as Sirius and James laughed.

"Please don't tip the boat Lilah. I don't want for giant squid to eat me" Severus sighed.

"Giant squid!" Lily said her eyes growing wider.

"I forget you're a muggleborn" Severus mumbled.

"Wait you're a muggleborn... Why didn't I see that. It makes so much sense!" I exclaimed realising that's why Lily was so excited and so happy to be here. For me I didn't know what to expect.

Remus just looked puzzled at me.

"What?" Lily asked.

"What's your blood status?" Severus asked Remus and I, Remus out of curiosity and me, to get the answer he already knew.

"Rude" Sirius muttered.

"Oh shut up Black you literally asked me the same thing earlier!" I shouted back my back still turned towards him.

"And I'm a Pureblood. You?"

"Half" Severus said smirking at his knowledge being confirmed but looking shocked at my response.

"What?" I asked shrugging my shoulders.

"Why aren't you saying things like filthy mudblood and other horrible stuff to Lily?" Severus asked .

"Well that's a nice question" Lily muttered sarcastically.

"Believe it or not, Not all purebloods are like that" I shrugged my sarcasm getting the better of me.

I heard Black laugh. He can be really obnoxious. I'm just praying I get sorted into a different house to him.

"The majority yes. But not all" I continued, shooting a glare back at Black about his response to my last statement.

"What's your blood status?" Severus asked Remus directly. I didn't know either. But I know he's not a muggleborn.

"Half, like you" Remus said snapping out of his daydream.

"Ahh, okay and what houses do you think you'll get in?" He asked us all.

"Not sure" Remus said honestly."Maybe Ravenclaw or Gryffindor"

"I'm not sure either but I'm going to say Slytherin or Ravenclaw" I said Severus giving me a light smile at the mention of Slytherin.

"I really don't know." Lily said. "I just hope I get put with one of you."

"Slytherin I think for me" he said proudly.

"Well we're about to find out" Remus gulped as the boats pulled up to the shore and we started to get out.

"Good luck" Sirius said walking past me and into the line at the door.

Good luck to you too Sirius Black


	4. 3 - Number Four Privet Drive

"Lilah are you sure you want to do this?" A tall man said a suitcase in his hand and thick American accent obvious.

"Alexander!" She stomped her foot on the ground, anger rising up throughout her entire body.

"This is the opportunity I've been waiting 12 years for! I can't just pass it up because of _danger!"_ The woman said being almost a parody of a Gryffindor.

 _"_ Or because people think that I am _dead_. You know _what he did_. I want revenge... I _need_ it" she stamped her foot on the ground once again; this time almost standing on the man's foot making him jump out of the way, he was well aware of her short temper, her long residing feelings and anguish towards this situation.

"Lilah I know this. _I know_. But if he killed your friends and so many others who says he won't hesitate to kill you?" Alexander asked his eyebrows rising in worry.

"He'll kill you Lilah. You said he was looking for Harry and Remus. If he finds out you're alive won't he come hunting for you too? I don't want to lose you Darcy. Everyone I care about is dead. All of them apart from you" He sighed looking like he was going to burst into tears at any second while also looking the brunette in the eye.

Lilah Darcy had always been a fiery yet intelligent girl. She used this to her advantage in her school days.

She was just above average height, had wavy and had beautiful, brown hair that reached just below her shoulder blades.

She looked similar now. Her hair was still long and wavy but she looked unhappy. The smile that lit up the days of her friends was gone. She wasn't defeated though. Lilah Darcy isn't the type of girl to give up. On anything.

She now stood in the middle of Privet Drive, the street where the boy that haunted her dreams and nightmares lived. The boy who manifested in all of her guilt.

She was dressed in big black boots, tight blue jeans, a baggy white t-shirt and a Black leather jacket to match. Her wand sat obviously pointing out of her back jean pocket. Anyone would've thought she would have the sense to not show that off in a Muggle neighbourhood; of all places.

After all these years Lilah Darcy didn't care anymore. Her regret, guilt and urge for revenge had drove her almost insane and she would do whatever it took to fulfil these urges, wishes, thoughts.

"Not if I get to him first" She smirked putting a hand on the man's shoulder.

Lilah Darcy had always been Cocky and self assured. She always thinks she is right and knows ' _the truth_ '. When sometimes she is completely _wrong_. The irony is that she became everything she used to tease others over. If her younger self could see her now I don't know how she would react.

"Lilah you can't just risk that! Please just come with me. We need to find _Dumbledore._ "

"Alexander" She sighed. "Dumbledore would _never_ let me do this. I've got to rescue Harry and I've got to find Black! I'm Harry's godmother and ironically the other person I'm looking for is his godfather!"

" _Lilah_ " the tall man begged raising his head, his blonde hair shining in the streetlight. Alexander Vanor was a man that couldn't be described very easily. He was a man of many different sides and possessed many contradicting qualities. Alexander Vanor was a good man, a logical man, but he could be swayed easily. He loved Lilah Darcy with all his heart. He was the brother she never had, not really.

"Alex, go to the leaky cauldron." she hesitated. "I'll meet you in a few hours."

"Take my bag too, please" she added quickly thinking of the convenience and how awkward it would be facing Harry while also carrying a suitcase. This reunion was going to be awkward  and uncomfortable enough already.

"Okay..." He hesitated taking her bag and walking slowly into the shadows, away from the view of muggles and possible bystanders. Or that's what they thought.

He stopped halfway.

"A few hours. I'll see you then" she hugged him.

"Okay." He sighed. "Just be safe, Lilah?" He said worry in his bright blue eyes.

"Yes yes Vanor. I'll be safe. God you sound like my mother" she shook her head with a laugh. Lilah took her personal pain by turning it into laughter. It's something she had done her whole life. She was brought up to see crying as a weakness and still sees it that way herself.

"I thought you said your mother was an evil troll?" Alexander said with a chuckle.

"Oh I did. And she still is. Unfortunately. She's still alive haunting my nightmares somewhere. As soon as she finds out I'm alive she's going to come _crawling back_ and try and scoop me up into some arranged marriage with a _dull, misogynistic, Pureblood prick._ " Lilah said becoming angry and disgusted at the mention of Destotia Darcy.

Her father died in the first Wizarding war. Wyatt Darcy is the reason she wasn't forced into an arranged marriage the first time. Well that and the fact her grandmother; "the living embodiment of Satan", disowned her from the Darcy family for 'fraternising with members of the Black Family'.

Pathetic is the word many used to describe it; including two members of the Black family themselves.

"I'm not going to try and say that five times fast" Alexander laughed.

"I'll see you later Darcy. Maybe we can come up with a plan for your mother then?" he suggested. He wanted to help her to the best of his abilities, he always succeeded in that too.

"Great idea Vanor. I might also need your help when dealing with Dumbledore and _Snape_ " she said giving a bitter edge to Snape's name.

Severus Snape and Lilah Darcy were friends at school. She's the one who used to stick up for him when he was made fun of. Her attitude towards him now brewed over time. Her attitude towards him now is something only she understands.

She walked away with a wave slowly making her way down Privet Drive.

"Harry I'm coming to rescue you" she whispered to herself.

"Everything is going to change" She sighed. Everything was going to change. In many, many ways. The fact that she could die tomorrow scared her but at the same time she was almost, used to it. It almost brought a thrill to her.

She was going to reunite with her oldest and best friend. She was also going to see the son of another two friends. She had heard how Harry was the "spitting image of James" which made her even more nervous and guilty. Even though the guilt didn't and shouldn't have belonged to her.

She didn't know how she was going to react. If the guilt from their deaths would eat her alive once more or if she would be just, delighted.

"MY FATHER WASN'T A DRUNK!" a voice shouted from inside one of the houses making Lilah stop in her tracks and wonder. _Could that be Harry?_

"I think it's time you went to bed" a voice she recognised as the infamous Vernon Dursley said. Now she was sure the other voice belonged to her godson.

"Shush Vernon" another voice said louder as she got closer to number Four Privet Drive.

"Actually it's not to do with the father. It's all to do with the mother. You see it all the time in dogs. If something's wrong with the bitch then there's something wrong with the pup!" she heard the woman's voice sound again.

Lilah became enraged by this sentence immediately. She was stood outside Number Four Privet Drive and knew instantly they were talking about Lily Evans. It took Lilah all her willpower not to storm in there.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" She heard a voice scream suddenly followed by loud smashes and bangs. This must be Harry himself.

The poor boy stuck with those _disgusting muggles_.

She had met them once before; Vernon and Petunia and it looks like their other relatives aren't much better. Her Sirius, James and Lily met them all one night. That evening didn't end particularly civilly. Lilah had also met Petunia countless times before that evening.

Those meetings weren't pleasant either.

"Let me tell you something" The voice of the smug woman sounded once more. Before _the screams_. Lilah took a few steps back and then saw a giant woman, getting bigger and bigger and then flying off into the horizon.

"Shit" Lilah muttered to herself trying to restrain a laugh. She shouldn't have laughed, but the woman deserved it in her mind.

At this point she saw young Harry storm upstairs and the shouts started once again.

"Well, well, well Petunia Dursley. What a _pleasure_ to see you again" Lilah said sarcastically standing at the doorway of Number Four Privet Drive with a smug smirk.

"Lilah Darcy. What are you doing here?" she spat her tight curls moving on her head, disgust flowing from her words.

"I came to see **_my Godson_** "

"And where have you been for the past 12 years? Running around with your _freaky friends."_ Petunia referenced Sirius and the others, angering Lilah again. She tried to remain calm and took several deep breaths.

 _"You_ will never be anything but a _freak!_ " Petunia screeched the sight of Lilah angering her. I guess the feelings were mutual then.

"And what does that make you" Lilah laughed loudly. "A _freak wannabe_?"

"Oh Dumbledore, please let me go to Hogwarts with Lily. I want to be a witch like Lily. _Lily, Lily_ " Lilah imitated Petunia and her letter to Dumbledore from all those years ago.

Harry's ears perked up at the mention of his mother and he suddenly became very curious.

Slap. The sound rang through the house.

"You utter bitch" Petunia exclaimed pulling her hand away from Lilah's cheek feeling accomplished at what she had done to the tall witch.

"A slap!" Lilah burst out laughing. "You forget what I can do." she smirked pulling her long silver wand out of her back pocket and pointing it at Petunia's neck. Lilah tried her hardest not to let her rage encompass her but it was becoming harder and harder by the second.

"Let me past! Now!" she growled terrifying Petunia.

Petunia Dursley moved out of the way of the tall witch, leaving the staircase free to climb.

Lilah thought to herself as she climbed the stairs. She had forgotten how much she hates Muggles.

Well how much she hates 'these muggles'. No muggles she had met had been particularly nice. She still remembered her 'experience' with Tobias Snape.

"You can't use magic outside of school" She heard the fat man sneer.

"No. He can't" Lilah smirked.

"But I can" She added quickly, the colour draining from Vernon Dursley's face leaving Lilah feeling very satisfied.

"W-Who are you?" Harry stuttered raising his wand at the tall Witch.

"My name is Lilah Darcy" She smirked at the boy who looked so much like her former best friend. Apart from his eyes. He had the eyes of another friend of her's. _Lily._

"And I'm here to save you" She added helping the boy up with his trunk.

"W-what?" He asked.

"And where are you going to go? You can't go back to that school with those freaky friends of yours now!" Dursley sneered once again at Harry.

"Anywhere is better than here" Harry bit back reminding Lilah of the time she ran away from home. Not long after that she was disowned. Truly, they had been looking for an excuse to get rid of her for a long time. That's what Lilah thought and that was the unfortunate truth.

"Please. ' _Accidental Magic Reversal'_ " Lilah air quoted scoffing at the suggestion that Harry might be expelled.

"I would've been expelled many times if that wasn't a rule" Lilah added trying to scare Vernon. He was already scared of her though. The dinner they had all those years ago was still a prominent memory in Vernon's mind.

"You are not going _ANYWHERE!_ " Vernon screamed blocking the doorway.

"Dursley move out of the way you old, fat, toad" She pointed her wand at him.

"Or I will move you myself" Dursley trembled remembering the hex Hagrid had put on Dudley and what James did to him all those years go. He slowly moved out of the way and let them both pass.

"Need help with anything Harry?" Lilah asked with a smile. How he was like James. It amazed her. He has his mothers Kindness and his father's bravery or as some people put it ' talent for trouble'.

"My broom?" Harry suggested.

"A nimbus 2000. Nice. I used to play for the Quidditch team at school"

"I'm the Gryffindor Seeker" Harry smiled proudly at her as they opened the cupboard under the stairs where Harry himself used to live, still unbeknownst to Lilah.

"Looks like we have a lot in common then Harry" Lilah shot Harry another smile. She was a seeker for the Gryffindor team too. She played alongside James as a chaser and Sirius as a beater. Harry mentioning the Gryffindor Quidditch team brought memories flooding back to her even though they were talking about different players.

Petunia's loud cry's rung out and Vernon's shouts echoed.

"I think it's time to go Harry."

 

* * *

 

"No offence but who are you?" Harry asked curiously as they sat on the concrete pavement.

"I'm your Godmother." Lilah smiled and Harry's eyes lit up.

" _Godmother_ " Harry whispered to himself.

"Lilah Darcy. From the infamous Darcy family. You may have heard of us. It wouldn't surprise me. Death Eaters and simply _evil bastards_ " Lilah started pacing.

"Like the _Malfoy's_?" Harry asked with a cheeky chuckle.

"Yes like the Malfoy's" Lilah laughed back; remembering her brief and encounters and manipulation of Narcissa and Lucius.

"Don't get me wrong Narcissa can be lovely and Lucius is someone you want on your side if you can manipulate him that way, but they are truly nasty pieces of work" Lilah added thinking about how Lucius contributed to the rumours about Regulus Black and how Lucius is apparently the reason he is dead.

"Well the Malfoy I know is _Draco_ " Harry spat in disgust. "Draco Malfoy thinks he is the best because his dad avoided a cell in Azkaban and he is a ' _pureblood_ ' " Harry scoffed reminding Lilah greatly of Lily Potter.

"God, you remind me of your mother Harry" Lilah laughed looking into the distance.

"She was a _wonderful_ woman. She had a way of seeing beauty in everyone and everything. She had the _Kindness of Hufflepuff_ , _Bravery_ of a _Gryffindor_ , _Intelligence_ of a _Ravenclaw_ and the _Determination_ of a _Slytherin_. She helped me through one of my worst points in life even though we had fallen out at the time. Lily Evans, _Potter_. Was one of the most wonderful people to have lived on this planet. I feel so guilty for not appreciating her. I feel guilty that I got to spend so much time with her and you so little" Lilah said tears lingering and threatening to spill in the corners of her eyes. Harry was interested and happy at the memory of his mother. How short that memory may be.

"And then there was your father" Lilah laughed, Harry smiling and looking up at her from the pavement.

"I knew him a lot better than Lily to be honest. I first met your father when I was 8 years old; however I have no recollection of it. Then three years later I met him again and we instantly became friends. James should we say had a real talent for trouble. He would prank everyone in sight and I've got to say I did the same too. He had some good friends. Apart from me. Three of them to be exact. They had these nicknames for each other and all in turn would die for each other"

"Or so I thought" Lilah mumbled inaudibly under her breath so that Harry wouldn't hear her.

"Your father could be a bit, well cocky. He thought he was very high up in social standings so did his best friend. That friend of his was classed as the best looking boy in school, apparently" Lilah laughed for once thinking of something good to do with Black.

"A bit of a player, unlike your father. He always had his heart set on Lily. It got a bit _stalker-ish_ at points" Lilah raised her eyebrows even though she was looking the opposite way to Harry.

"He annoyed her for years sending notes like '10 minutes till potions how about a quick snog in the broom cupboard?'" Lilah imitated James' voice making Harry laugh and memories of his dad return to him.

"Then your mother would throw a book at him and we'd all end up in the hospital wing. Your dad's friend and I" Lilah tried carefully to not give his name.

"Complaining of a busted gut from laughter. Or an excuse to skip class, your father a broken jaw, well it was a broken jaw at one point. And your mother usually pulled muscles from throwing things. In the end things worked out though and they were unbelievably happy. Harry, they loved you so much. All of us did. We still do. They may be gone but they live with us. In here." She pointed to her chest, her wand falling out of her pocket.

"They never leave us. Not really" she put an arm around Harry and gave him a hug.

"There's not one day I don't think about them you know. Not one. I feel guilty, like I should've done something but they thought I was a spy. Same with Remus. We knew nothing in the end"

" _Remus_?" Harry asked in confusion.

"I shouldn't have said that. I should definitely not have said that, uhh you don't need to know that name." Lilah smacked herself in the head realising her mistake in naming one of 'The Marauders'. Then noticing her missing wand.

"Harry have you seen my wand?" She asked turning back around to see the boy looking terrified. Sending glances towards the bushes. What was lurking in the dark abyss?

"Lumos" Harry muttered looking across the road at the gap between the garage and fence. Harry saw quite distinctly the hulking outline of something really big with wide gleaming eyes. If Lilah had seen this shadow herself, she would've instantly recognised the figure.

Harry stepped backwards, his legs hitting his trunk and sending him flying over it; into the gutter. His wand flew out of his hand Lilah catching it as she turned around to face him.

"Harry!" Lilah shouted facing him, oblivious to what had just happened. She waved her hand in front of his face as he took his wand from Lilah's grasp.

"HARRY!" She shouted again.

There was a deafening bang. A big mass of air flew at them suddenly sending Lilah flying back and into the gutter, landing next to Harry. They shielded their eyes as a sudden light blinded them. With a yell Harry threw himself back on to the pavement; just in time, Lilah doing the same.

The loud noises and blinding light screeched to a halt just where the pair had been lying.

"The knight bus" Lilah mumbled scrambling for her wand

"Tell them _nothing_ " she muttered in Harry's ear. He was confused by this but nodded his head in response.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard" A man said to Harry as Lilah looked for the missing change which seemed to have fallen out from her pocket. The man's purple uniform shone in the streetlights.

"Stick out your wand hand, come aboard and we can take you anywhere you want to go. Apart from underwater" The man pointed at the sign in gold lettering Lilah finally started to pay attention.

"My name is Stan Shunpike and I'll be your conductor for this evening-" He suddenly stopped talking and noticed Lilah and Harry laid on the ground.

"Wat you doin' down there?" The voice of Stanley Shunpike sounded as they both scrambled to their feet.

"F-Fell over" Harry muttered thinking of an excuse.

"Wat you fall over' for?" Sniggered Stan, now looking over to Lilah.

"I wasn't down there on purpose" Harry replied in annoyance making Lilah chuckle.

Harry now looked at the rip in the knee of his jeans and the cut in his hand from the fall. He groaned deeply looking at the bleeding wound.

"I'll sort that out later for you" Lilah put a hand on his shoulder as Harry looked back at the gap between the fence and garage.

"Wat you looking at?" Stan said again his cockney accent obvious.

"There was a big black thing" Harry almost stuttered pointing at the gap. Lilah's eyes lit with worry. _How could he have found us already!_ She thought.

She knew Harry must not know about Sirius Black and made sure not to tell him. Lilah was certain what Harry saw must've been his animagus form. A big black dog.

"Like-Like a dog!" He exclaimed. Lilah taking a deep breath and shaking her head in disbelief. Sirius Black was _there_ , he was lurking somewhere in the shadows, he heard everything she just said.

Lilah would've gone and found him immediately but it was important Harry remained oblivious, for now. Besides, Lilah wouldn't know how to tell him anyway.

"But massive!" He continued confirming Lilah's assumptions.

"It's probably just a stray dog Harry" Lilah tried to reassure him even though she knew it was not.

Stan's eyes moved from where Harry was pointing to the scar on his head. Lilah knew and hoped Harry would follow her advice.

"What's that? Stan asked.

"Oh. Nothing" Harry said quickly flattening his hair over the scar.

"Wat's your name?" Stan persisted Lilah quickly interrupting him.

"That's Neville and I'm Aurora. And The Leaky Cauldron please." She interrupted using the name of the child of some of her classmates and her cousin; also giving Stan the name of the location she needed to go to.

"Neville wat?" He asked. _He really won't give in will he?_ Lilah thought to herself.

"Longbottom and my surname is Darcy" Lilah dragged Harry on to the bus.

"A Darcy eh?" He smirked at her.

"Heard you all were _Death Eaters_. Well the living ones." Stan continued to smirk.

"Well don't believe everything you read in The Daily Prophet" She scoffed sitting on a bed and Harry on one beside her.

Harry suddenly looked over to the issue of the paper Stan was holding. There on the front cover was none other than Sirius Black; and the mugshot of him laughing and squirming in the arms of ministry Hit-Wizards. He couldn't have looked more insane if he'd tried. The man looked strangely familiar to Harry but he didn't know why.

"Who's that man? I've heard about him on the Muggle news" Harry interjected puzzled by the familiar face. Lilah on the other hand knew exactly who the face belonged to.

"Shit" Lilah muttered hoping no one would hear her.

Stan pulled out his copy of the paper and chuckled.

"Sirius Black. Course he was on the Muggle news Neville. He's a Murderer" Stan droned out giving Lilah horrible flashbacks of that night.

Harry read the article his eyes widening as he found out some of the details of Black's arrest. Harry looked at the man's face and shadowed eyes once more. He resembled what Harry saw as a vampire. Harry himself had never seen one but he had read and seen photos of them countless times in his defence against the dark arts classes. Black looked exactly like one and scarily so did Lilah. Harry tried not to panic as countless scenarios raced around his mind. Maybe it's just a characteristic of pure-blooded families. The pale skin. The eyes. Harry attempted to re-assure himself.

"Are you okay?" Lilah hissed in his ear.

"Scary looking thing. In't he." Stan said, Lilah giving him a glare obviously noticing Harry's panic.

"He murdered thirteen people?" Harry breathed out in shock.

"Fourteen. Some Darcy girl too." Stan said then turning to face Lilah, realising she was a Darcy. Lilah panicked.

"Some relative of yours?" Stan asked.

"No idea" Lilah lied; Harry giving her a suspicious look.

"I went to school in France. Didn't have much contact with my family. A lot of them died. I wouldn't know one from the other." Lilah said trying to be her cousin Aurora.

She was a Death Eater, or still is and she also attended Beauxbatons giving Lilah a perfect cover story. The only person that knew she was lying was Harry and he would make sure to ask her about it later.

"With one curse?" Harry continued in shock, pretending for now he hadn't heard Lilah's comment. He knew she was a Gryffindor. How could she attend school in France?

"Yep. You'd have to be a powerful wizard an all." Stan said.

"Still beat him at duelling though" Lilah muttered to herself again hoping no one would hear.

"That's why we're all so scared. _No one's_ escaped Azkaban before!"

"There were witnesses an all. He did it in broad daylight. The _murder._ " Stan continued, Lilah remembering the scene and the blown up street.

"Black was a supporter of _you-know-who_ " Stan whispered.

"What? Voldemort!" Harry said without thinking, everyone flinching at the name.

"Wat you say his name for!" Stan said hastily.

"Sorry. I-I forgot" Harry made up an excuse which Lilah was trying hard not to laugh at.

"Forgot! Blimey." Stan said his hand over his heart.

"So he was a supporter of _you-know-who?"_ Harry asked again apologetically.

"Yeah. He was very close to him. Apparently. Anyway little Harry Potter got the better half of _you-know-who"_ Stan smiled Lilah holding back a laugh again _._ Harry flattened his hair once more and looked out of the window.

"Anyway after _you-know-who_ died all his followers were rounded up. Well most of them. They went quietly, but not _Black"_ Stan shuddered continuing. "A bunch of wizards surrounded him in a street full of muggles. And Black took out his wand and blasted half the street apart."

Flashbacks of the blast once again returned to Lilah's mind making her shudder and go into a hyper alert state.

"Two wizards got it." Stan referenced Peter and Lilah herself. "And a dozen muggles got in the way too. 'Orrible eh?"

"An you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in his dramatic whisper.

"What?" Said Harry, oblivious to the panic of his godmother next to him.

" _Laughed"_ Said Stan. "Just stood there and _laughed_ ". Lilah remembered this vividly and then the moment when he caught eye contact with her and was dragged away.

She was injured, very badly. But escaped and ran away. I guess this is why people believe that she is dead. All she left behind was a pool of blood from the rubble that had hit and cut her open.

"And when the reinforcements arrived he went with them still laughing his head off" Stan continued. "Cause he's _mad_!" This statement Lilah agreed with.

Lilah tried to block out the memories from her mind, attempting to use the techniques she learnt in China even though they never worked. She laid down for the remainder of the journey. She did not want to hear, or be reminded of that day or Sirius Black for many reasons but mainly her own mental sanity.

 

* * *

 

"Remind me never to take this bus again" Lilah said her skin still pale as it drove away. Her skin was pale normally but she looked almost ill.

"What's wrong?" He asked Lilah, his eyes lit with worry.

"Mr Potter?" A voice sounded from behind them

"I need to go Harry" She hissed in his ear. He was confused but went with it, just like before.

"Harry if you're ever in trouble _write to me_. I'll do my best to reply. I'm your godmother after all. I'm meant to make sure you are okay." She breathed quickly her back still to the man.

"This won't be the last time you see me Harry. Just please don't tell everyone about this. I still have some things to sort out" Lilah tried to explain in the most brief way possible.

"Goodbye Harry Potter" She waved sneaking around the corner.

"Goodbye" He whispered back.

"Just this way Mr Potter" The voice sounded once again guiding him inside The Leaky Cauldron as Lilah sneaked in the back entrance to meet Alexander.

_Goodbye, for now._

 


	5. 4 - The Road and The Rubble

"Severus?" I cried turning around to see the blotchy faced man. The pain was flooding out of his eyes and through every part of his body.

"W-what?" His voice cracked on the verge of tears; looking at the rubble in the destroyed entrance of the cottage.

"I can't believe he's done this" I said a lonely tear rolling down my face. I never usually cry, but right now who wouldn't? He betrayed us all. Not just James and Lily but _every single one of us_. Remus, Peter, _Severus_ , me... Sirius Black is a dead man.

Severus ran up the stairs and into the bedroom. The next thing I heard was a wail and a cry. Not just from one person either. _Harry_. **_Harry's alive?_**

"Severus!?" I ran following him up the stairs in a blind attempt to find some sign of life. I stopped halfway, collapsing to my knees. They were _dead_. _Stone cold dead_. At least Lily and James were...

I looked down at my former best friend on the floor. _James._

 _"James"_ I cried out. His eyes glazed over and body _lifeless._ The pain in my heart was _indescribable._

" _James!_ " I cried again; tears falling on him and his small round glasses, them also steaming up.

_"Please don't be dead. Please just wake up and make this all another harmless prank!" it was too late._

_"James"_

_"James"_

_"JAMES"_

_I burst into uncontrollable tears._

Everyone in the house was in uncontrollable tears. It was impossible to describe, staring into his lifeless eyes, knowing you'll never get to hear him laugh one more time, never get to see him smile, never stay up all night talking about the times. Never again.

"James" I cried out once more, my head dropping to his chest.

"Please, don't leave me here. Don't leave me. Don't leave us!" I screamed out as loud as my lungs would let me; shaking his body as my whole body trembled and my tears fell slowly off my face and on to his clothing.

"Don't leave us" I sobbed placing my head in my hands.

" _Please_ " I cried out already knowing it was hopeless. " _James_ " I shook his body one final time before collapsing back into the corner; shrieking and crying. I felt as if I had lost control of my whole body. My mind, my emotions. This the first time I haven't been able to control it all. I feel like I am in a daze, a coma of confusion that I cannot wake up from. However this was real life and this was soul splitting.

Tears stained my face which I felt I would never remove. This memory would stay with me for my whole life. No matter how hard I try to hide it, to destroy it. I feel insane. I feel like my whole life has fallen into a black hole of darkness, confusion, anger, betrayal but also insanity.

_Insanity._

How could they be took so evilly away from me? Away from Harry.

 _"Severus"_ my voice cracked as I stood up taking one last glance at James' cold and empty and lifeless body, choking up once more, struggling to walk away as my best memories with one of my best friends became louder and louder, disabling me, creating noise, making me struggle to function.

I walked up the stairs to where Severus was. I can't leave him alone now. No matter what he ad done.

No one will ever realise how much Lily meant to him. He was lovesick and destroyed. One word ruined everything for him. His childhood created the monster he became, the monster he despised. Tobias Snape and Eileen Prince. The couple that were mismatched in every possible way. Tobias was the most disgusting, evil and bitter man to ever walk this planet. He had the personality that I can only think to describe as a demonic; he was a monstrosity, a monster. A monster that brewed the strong but fragile man we have today. He broke every bone in his body, in the mind.   
  
  
  


Severus may be a broken man. A terrible man. But he is a better person than his parents could ever hope to be. He's a better person than I am myself. Or at least I believe after all the things this war forced me to do, for survival, for 'the greater good'.

To go through that much distress, go down the crooked paths and come out strong; that is a miracle to me. My childhood wasn't the most pleasant but compared to Severus' it was all unicorns and rainbows. I have nothing to complain about. In the end we're all children of a stolen youth, we're both children of a broken home, we're both children of war.

I stumbled up the last stair looking at my cloaked ex-friend.

He was _distraught_.

Distraught to say the least.

"NO" I heard his voice drag out holding Lily's body in his arms; rolling round in a stupor, a state that couldn't be described. It joined the bridges of life and death. Unconscious but awake.

Awake and unafraid, unafraid anymore. He couldn't feel any emotion just the tears and I felt the same.

Harry cried and wailed as did Severus and I. Harry was alive. How I will never know but he was breathing and his heart was beating like the rest of us.

His head now was plastered with a red, raw and almost sparkling, lightning shaped scar. A mark that only the darkest magic could produce. A hole that had the darkness of the event enclosed.

"Severus" my voice cracked.

"Severus!" I pulled him away from Lily for one second looking into his eyes, fogged up with the tears that everyone shared.

"What- about Harry?" I asked his head shaking with instability. I don't have the time to mourn Lily now. Harry is the priority. His future is the worry.

"I-I don't know" he stuttered back standing up and trying to suppress his sobs.

"Dum--ble-dore?" I stuttered back the same way as Snape did only moments ago.

"Dumbledore" Severus nodded his head, grabbing my wrist and helping me to my feet.

"Dumbledore" he sighed out letting out another sob just seconds later.

I put my arm around him and he put his arm around my shoulder as we stumbled out of the house of our former friends; and for Severus... The cottage which inhabited his love. The only person he has ever loved.

* * *

 

"Severus?" my voice choked as the sun rose up in the sky shining through the small bedroom window.

Another _sleepless night._

 _"Severus?"_ I asked stumbling out of the run down, dark and dank guest bedroom of the house in Spinner's End.

I walked down the crooked and creaky stairs to be met with a tired and drained Severus. I can say I looked exactly the same. A pale yet red and blotchy face, dark black bags under the eyes and a face which was trying to contain the pain inside, that could not be caged.

"Coffee?" He asked the bags under his eyes hidden by the dim lighting.

"Yeah- Thank you" I smiled weakly sitting on the weak wicker chair.

He leant over the peeling, old, black aga; the kettle boiling on the stove top.

"What are we going to do Severus" I sighed as he handed me the steaming cup.

"I don't know Lilah" he sighed back.

"Dumbledore offered me a job at Hogwarts but- I can't accept..." He hesitated.

"What post?" I raised my eyebrow, taking a slurp of my coffee. Severus would make an excellent professor in my opinion.

"Potions Master. I wanted Defence Against The Dark Arts but Dumbledore doesn't trust me" He spat bitterly.

"No offence Severus but you were a Death Eater" I said him shuddering at the mention of his old job. "Dumbledore just- doesn't want to risk you falling back into that world..."

"I-"Severus started.

"Besides you'd make an amazing potions master. You are unbelievably skilled at potion brewing. You're the reason I can brew anything. Without you and old sluggy I wouldn't have even scraped a Troll in potions never mind an Outstanding at N.E.W.T level!" I exclaimed referencing his tutoring in fifth year, when my life had distracted me from my schoolwork.

"Severus you'd be brilliant." I put an arm on his shoulder.

"Thank you Lilah but what about patience? As you know I don't have a great deal of that. Neither do you" he smirked.

"Hey!" I hit him on the arm. He was right, but like I was going to admit it.

"Just being truthful" He chuckled. It was good to be able to joke about things when an event so dark had only just occurred.

"Just work on it Severus, or pretend to have some. At the worst just bitch about them in letters to me and make sarcastic comments under your breath." I laughed taking another sip of my coffee.

"That sounds more like you than me Darcy. Besides what are you going to do?" He raised his eyebrow at me putting his cup of coffee down and leaning back against the counter.

"Revenge" I snarled, thoughts from my sleepless night re-entering my mind.

"On who? He's gone Lilah!" Severus slammed his hand down on the kitchen counter taking a deep breath and looking out of the stained window onto the rows of dilapidated brick houses.

"He may be gone Severus but who betrayed them!" I yelled, taking a deep breath after my outburst.

" _Sirius, Orion, Black_... That's who. And he's going to pay most dearly for it." I cracked my knuckles spitting out his name in a most bitter tone.

"And land yourself a one way pass to Azkaban!? Brilliant idea" He scoffed turning around to face me with a look of idiocy. Not for himself but for me.

"Oh please!" I laughed. "Don't you dare tell me you haven't had daydreams about killing Black. Just going up to him and ending it all! Because if you say haven't then you are a liar Severus Snape"

"Killing Black would be, delightful, but why deny the dementors the pleasure of torturing him?" Snape shrugged evilly. He really is a Slytherin. The thought, the lesser chance of danger. Truly intelligent.

"Killing Black wouldn't satisfy me. I want him to suffer" He added putting his mug in the dish and sitting down opposite me on the battered wooden table.

"You see with me, I need an instant release it's either that or my anger will brew to the point of explosion. I will explode either way but if it gets left to brew, you can expect it on a much larger scale."

"Oh believe me I know how you explode Darcy. You seem to forget we spent seven years at school together. I remember the Quidditch games, the arguments, the time you sent Black into the bookshelf and how you blew up McKinnon's cauldron after she put a hex on you and Re- and the incident with him... Even the one with me. Then there were the ones with your family, it got even more out of hand after they disowned you. Lilah you seem to have inherited that family gene of yours for bad tempers, much like Bellatrix and Black himself. If I was him I'd be terrified" Severus listed many incidents from our school days and using language which can only be described as unusually casual for him. Severus is a very articulate man.

"I am not related to the Black family!" I spat at the mention of two of their members.

"Please, all pureblood families are interbred to insanity. You even said that yourself!"

"Oooh sorry Half-Blood Prince" I scoffed.

"Oh aren't you hilarious" Severus sarcastically replied.

"Look Severus, I'm going to get revenge on Black no matter what you say. I need time to grieve but I can't with this burning anger inside of me. Surely you understand. I am so, so sad but so much more angry" I said slumping in my chair tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

"I do Lilah it's just not logically safe. All I'm going to say is don't expect me to bust you out of Azkaban when you get sent there"

"No cause you'll be meeting me there won't you Severus? I mean just look at your forearm" I sneered walking over to his side of the table.

"Oh" I smirked rolling up his sleeve and revealing the mark that confirmed it all.

"Don't ever do that!" He snapped standing up.

"Dumbledore has it all sorted out and you know it!" He added quickly.

"Oh I know Sevy, It's just the irony is too much for me." Severus curled his nose up at his nickname of 'Sevy', Caroline Crabb used to call him it in her 'obsessed with Severus days'; I'd usually be crawled up in balls of laughter with Jacob and Re-... him... or imitating her to annoy him during this time.

"How many Hogwarts jokes are you trying to slip into this conversation?" He muttered in a bored tone.

"More than is socially acceptable but then you and me are both socially inept so it probably doesn't matter"

"Right" He rolled his eyes.

"Look" I got up and walked over to the window where he was stood. "I'll be back at nightfall and if anything happens I'll tell you"

"Fine." He groaned out.

"But if anything happens" He turned around and put a finger in the air. "It's on your head not mine Darcy"

"Yes, yes Severus. You have the official rights to say ' _I told you so'_ "

"Now go back to your grieving" I waved my arm at him, grabbing my wand out of my jean pocket and putting on my boots.

"You act so strong but if I left you alone for five minutes you'd be as bad as last night. You forget how similar we can be Lilah. You'd be in hysterics; you wouldn't be able to drag yourself out of bed."

"You know Severus you are utterly right"

Just as I was about to exit the house Severus turned around one last time and said "Say hello from me"

"Don't worry I will" I smirked slamming the door shut and stepping out into the Muggle dug hill that was Spinner's End. There was a chilly mist in the air that was polluted with the smell of a contaminated river; The River was surrounded by two overgrown rubbish strewn banks and the air was thick with black smoke and disgusting scents. The only sign of life was the scrawny flea ridden fox that was clawing at some waste fish and chips, covered with mould; and the tatty mother and daughter walking down the small alleyway into their slum like home. I looked utterly out of place. I couldn't escape my wealthy, pureblood aristocratic stance and arrogance no matter how hard I tried. I would unfortunately, always be a Darcy.

* * *

 

"Peter?" I ran at the short and slightly fat man who seemed to be attempting to hide. He ran into a bush at the mere sound of my voice. What was wrong with him?

"PETER PETTIGREW!" I yelled. I didn't care if the street was full of muggles, he was hiding from me and I was determined to find out why. I leaped into the bush and landed on top of him before he had a chance to run, to turn into a rat.

"What's wrong with you?" I pinned him up against the nearest brick wall

"You seem- Terrified." I laughed.

"Um-Um" He stuttered.

"Sirius, He's after me" My short friend panted out in short breaths.

"Well, well, well he's exactly the person I'm looking for" I smirked stepping back and releasing him from my grip.

"Sirius?" Peter scratched his head.

"Well no, I'm looking for Narcissa Malfoy! Who the hell do you think I'm looking for?" I exclaimed narrowing my eyes and sighing at my idiotic friend. Peter was great but a bit dim. He's the one that mentioned Black in the first place!

"Pettigrew" I heard a deep snarl from behind us making me suddenly leap in front of Peter. I could recognise that voice from a mile away and oh, oh Sirius prepare for a show.

"Black" I snarled back for Peter, turning around to see the tall, long black haired man, with all my teeth bared. He was going to get what he deserved if it killed me.

"Move out of the way Darcy!" Sirius attempted to push me out of the way making me leap forwards at him even further.

"I'd rather die" I snarled again. "What are you trying to do? Kill us all? Cross us off your checklist?" I laughed pushing him back with my wand.

" _Lilah_ " He growled his anger clearly rising, just amusing me more.

"Don't you dare Lilah me!" I screamed. "You're the reason their dead Black! You're nothing but a filthy traitor!" I yelled.

"N-" I cut him off.

"Well you know what they say once a Black, always a Black" I sneered knowing that I had hit a nerve. His family was the way to harm him. It was something I had hoped I would never have to use. It was a path to his heart, his most deep emotions.

His breaths got faster and deeper; now pointing his wand right against my neck.

"Don't make me do this..." he mumbled looking deeply into my eyes, scared about what he could do next. His temper was unleashed just like mine and it was fiery.

I wasn't scared. Sirius Black does not scare me. In any way. I have more power in my little finger than he could ever dream of.

"Well all I can say is your disgusting mother would be proud"

"Don't even go there it was him-"

"So so proud of her little Sirius" I sneered once again.

The next thing I knew I was pinned against the wall where Pettigrew was only moments ago. Speaking of Peter, where the hell had he gone? _So helpful._

"Don't ever mention them to me" He breathed on my face pushing himself right against my body making my heart go faster and faster. I tried to wriggle my way out of his clutch but this time he was too strong. I had never seen Sirius like this before. He was insane. He truly was.

"God help me" I muttered to myself as Sirius pulled out his wand and pulled me back into his body, his arm around my neck and hair dangling in my face. He walked backwards slowly, still in his arms.

"Don't worry Darcy" He chuckled. "Just go and everything will be okay" He said in a calm and comforting voice yet in this situation it sounded almost like a threat.

He suddenly sent two hexes at Peter who was trying to creep into safety.

Rubble flew everywhere narrowly missing my head; and dust clouding up everything I could see just seconds ago.

"SIRIUS BLACK! THE ONE WHO BETRAYED THE POTTERS!" Peter yelled loudly pointing towards Sirius in another attempt to flee. I've got to say this was very out of character for him. He had been that way for weeks now. A confident coward to put it into terms.

My breathing hitched as I slowly attempted to remove my wand from my pocket and free my way from Sirius' grasp.

Sirius made three loud shouts as he blew up more and more of the street hitting several muggles and Peter. I could see ministry hit wizards in the distance I had to go.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" I yelled at Sirius who was just in front of me sending him flying with more rubble and dust from the unsettled street.

I made a run for it. I hate to admit it but Severus was right, it was too dangerous.

Sirius cackled sending more and more hexes towards Peter, seemingly oblivious of the arrival of ministry law enforcement.

I scrambled down the street to an area away from the flying rubble in the hopes of escaping the ministry's eye. I would be a target. A suspect. I mean I'm a Darcy. There are known to be many Death Eaters in my family. I would be sent straight to Azkaban with no hearing as the ministry would definitely not believe me.

I then heard the spell that confirmed everything I thought. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" I heard a yell the air becoming unsettled again and a massive storm cloud of rubble being flung towards me.

Smack. I had been flung twenty feet into the air to then fall flat on my back on to the concrete ground. I was dizzy and couldn't move or feel a thing. My fingers seemed to be the only part of my body working. I felt a sticky liquid flow down my forehead as my eyesight blurred in and out. Blood. I had been hit straight in the head. The only thing I could see or hear before I blacked out was a psychopathic fit of laughter and my former friend being dragged way by the Ministry. He caught my eye line once more and he had a look of what seemed to be remorse in his shimmering but empty grey eyes, tears lingering in the corners. And then it all went black...

* * *

 

The street was now dark and only lit by the shattered black lamppost. It had been destructed. The Ministry officials still lingered attempting to move the rubble and get to the effected people. For some reason magic wouldn't move the rock; I had tried myself.

I stumbled to my feet blood now dried on my face, I felt unbelievably dizzy. I had to go. I could hear the wizards getting closer...

"tutum loco" I muttered quietly apparating as fast as I could. I was in no state to apparate but if I didn't... Well Azkaban would be waiting for me.

I stumbled over my own feet throwing up and becoming instantly dizzy again; a tall blonde man and a little old woman ran towards me; the red lights and lanterns shining over the tall tiled houses and the deserted road. It was sometime in the night. But there were Witches and Wizards here even so.

The woman shouted something in mandarin that I couldn't understand while the man put an arm under my shoulder and helped me to my feet.

"Welcome to occultum" The man said. He had a thick American accent and a genuine smile.

"I'm Alexander-" The man started to say but was cut off by the woman's mandarin cries.

He replied quickly and calmly, lifting me on to some sort of stretcher. I wished I had learnt Mandarin with Remus now...

"Your wand. She needs your wand. ID Purposes" He explained quickly as I pointed to my boot. The 14 and ¾ inch silver lime wand sticking out of the top.

"Don't worry, it'll all be okay" The man held my hand and reassured me as two wizards carried me into a temple like building.

"It was for me" He sighed quietly so only I could hear. The man was pushed back by some other Chinese wizards and the last thing I remember before blacking out again was him giving me a hopeful smile as I was carried way.

 


	6. 5 - The Leaky Cauldron

_5- The Leaky Cauldron_

At the unusually early hour of 8am Lilah Darcy woke with a start. She never usually woke up this early... The morning sun rose, shining brightly into the room of The Leaky Cauldron. It wasn't the most luxurious room but it was cosy and it felt safe. To Lilah at least. Alexander's night sleep hadn't been as peaceful as hers. Neither had Harry's.

The tall witch quickly got ready for the day ahead pulling mismatching clothes from her bright blue suitcase; a muggle version of a trunk which Lilah found to be way more convenient, and the case had wheels; so her arm didn't feel dead every time she picked it up. Lilah really didn't care what the other guests thought of her appearance today. She was meant to be dead anyway. She would be using the pun of _'you look like you've seen a ghost!_ 'A lot today. Her sense of humour never died down during those twelve years. Living in _occultum_ in a sense made her feel alive again and gave her a new life. Everyone who lived there was hiding and looking to move on just like herself. The problem was that some people never did. Some people stayed in a transfixion of their past. You may think how terribly ironic with Lilah herself returning to her own past. But the reasons she returned were true even if her intentions were not the most honorable.

Lilah put on some makeup and her long black lace up boots before stepping out of the hotel room. She wanted to at least make herself look less like a zombie than usual. As she stepped out of the room a gush of air hit her face through the open window from the train station outside; and an owl swooped past her head with a large parcel making her duck quickly in an attempt to miss the parcel. She didn't want to be dazed when she reunited with old acquaintances. That was going to happen, it was inevitable. Lilah never realised how much she missed the Wizarding world; the English Wizarding community. The Chinese Wizarding community was great, really great but for Lilah nowhere would compare to England. _Home sweet home._

She continued to walk down this long corridor more owls swooping past and she wondered to herself if this was how Alexander felt? Or if his experiences made him feel a completely different way. She couldn't help to feel sorry for her friend even though she knew for well, he did not want her pity; she did not want his either.

Lilah walked slowly down the crooked and creaking stairs to be met with an arguing witch and wizard and an amused Alexander trying to hide behind his copy of The Daily Prophet.

"It was your bloody cat!" The red haired teenage wizard shouted at the frizzy haired witch with a look of annoyance.

Lilah walked past the two teenagers; trying not to laugh, and to reach the dark brown table her friend Alexander was sat at.

"Well isn't this a lovely breakfast" Lilah rolled her eyes looking at her blonde haired friend who only laughed in response and pushed a cup of coffee towards her. She pulled out the wooden stool and sat down on it.

"No it wasn't! It's not my fault you can't keep track of your pets Ronald!" The witch shouted back turning around and facing the wall. This was going to be an amusing or frustrating breakfast for the two.

"What's going on?" Lilah hissed to Alexander.

"Something about a stupid rat" He rolled his eyes in boredom. He had more important things to think about.

Lilah shuddered. "I never liked rats. They creep me out to be honest. No matter how used to them I got, I never really liked them." Lilah referenced her peculiar friend's animagus form.

 _"'used to them'"_ Alexander quoted in the air putting down his newspaper in amusement.

"Where did you live?" He smirked holding back a chuckle.

"Oh shut up!" Lilah laughed hitting him with the copy of The Daily Prophet. "You know what I meant!" She added quickly.

"I did, I did" He raised his hands in the air in defeat; the young witch and wizard starting to argue again.

"Give me strength" Lilah groaned hitting her head on the table. She had always been overdramatic especially in her school days; she rivaled the drama queen himself.

"Drink your coffee Liels" Alexander chuckled, pushing the cup towards her. Lilah always drank a cup of coffee on a morning, even though she despised the taste. It had been that way ever since she started living in _occultum._

"Have I ever told you how much I hate coffee?" The tall witch asked Alexander groaning yet again.

"Just every morning." He shook his head. "I don't understand if you don't like it why do you drink it?"

"I have no idea" Lilah shrugged picking up the cup and pulling a disgusted face after one mouthful making her wonder why indeed did she feel the need to drink a cup every morning?

"Your cat ate Scabbers!" The ginger wizard shouted again, giving Lilah a headache.

"Jesus Christ! I don't like cats either but could they shout any louder!?" Lilah hissed to Alexander.

Alexander laughed loudly; hoping not to catch the attention of the witch and wizard.

"Well it did eat the rat..." Alexander whispered with a chuckle.

"And I hope it had a good breakfast" Lilah shook her head in response. Making Alexander laugh louder. Alexander Vanor had a very contagious laugh; which Lilah was trying to avoid. The loud laughs of both of them would surely attract the attention of the young witch and wizard.

Lilah took another sip of her black coffee, attempting not to laugh and spew the coffee everywhere. She had done that many a time in the past and none of those incidents had been particularly pretty. She had to admit though, seeing Sirius Black covered in coffee which was mixed with firewhisky was... Hilarious. She never liked coffee but James always made her drink a cup before every Quidditch match and practice as he said it made her more ' _agile_ '.

At that moment something small and furry ran across the foot of Alexander making him jump up in shock and drop his glass of butterbeer. The smashing sound echoed across the room.

"Well done Vanor" Lilah said sarcastically as Alexander looked under the table for the creature.

"Seriously Lilah I felt something!" The tall wizard exclaimed continuing to look under the table.

"Sure, sure Vanor" She rolled her eyes and started to read his copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Oh my god it's a rat!" Alexander exclaimed picking up the rat known as Scabbers, Lilah was to say the least uninterested and kept reading the paper. The rat in question was the missing rat of the ginger boy himself.

"SCABBERS!" The ginger boy ran over to Alexander who was holding the rat up in the air, the witch also running over with a face like thunder.

"I think you owe someone an apology." The witch said.

"Never." The boy spat as the cat attempted launch out of the arms of the witch and on to the rat.

"I'm warning you Hermione keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers or I'll turn him into a tea cosy!" The boy shouted making Lilah groan again. She could not deal with any more arguments today. Just hearing the witch and wizard argue tired her.

"It's a cat Ronald what do you expect? It's in its nature" The witch spat back at him.

"A cat is that what they told you?"He replied, Lilah now restraining a laugh. That is almost exactly what she said to Lily after her cat attacked her in 7th year. Lilah had never really liked cats, cats never really liked her.

"Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me" The boy continued, the witch snapping back quickly.

"That's rich! Coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush!"

The ginger haired boy became annoyed again.

"It's alright Crookshanks. Just ignore the mean little boy" The wild haired witch comforted her pet, Lilah still transfixed on the paper, occasionally zoning in on the conversation.

The ginger haired boy turned back to Alexander "Thank you." He said.

"No problem" Alexander smiled at the boy sitting back down.

"Whoa, your accent! That's wicked" The boy exclaimed in awe making Lilah chuckle slightly; now reading an article on the new seeker for the Montrose Magpies.

Alexander chuckled. "Thank you" He replied.

At that moment Harry left his small old hotel room walking out into the dim, medieval looking hallway. Harry found the place warm and cosy but at the same time, slightly creepy. He reached the staircase and gazed for a few moments he could not wait for the day ahead.

* * *

 

Harry wandered into Diagon Ally in search of his two friends.

"Harry? Are you okay? Hermione said spotting Harry from across the way. Concern was flooding from her eyes. Hermione Granger genuinely cared about Harry Potter. That was evident from the moment you saw them. Hermione knew about Harry's past and more about current affairs than Harry Possibly did himself.

"Ron, Hermione!" Harry smiled at the both of them, looking suspiciously at Lilah who was now situated with Alexander at a coffee shop across the road. Lilah was attempting to stay undercover and hidden from anyone who may recognise her. Lilah noticed Harry's gaze she raised her arms in the air and chuckled in surrender.

Next Hermione pulled Harry into a really tight hug crushing the boy.

"Bloody hell Hermione" Ron said from behind them both shaking his head.

"Ron" Harry chuckled, Hermione finally letting go of him.

"How are you mate?" Ron asked raising one eyebrow.

"Strangely good" Harry replied.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" Hermione interjected in a very serious voice.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just -- lost control."

"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he? Lilah said something about accidental magic reversal" Harry recalled.

"Probably cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling.

"Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry would do to me if I blew up my Aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me."

"Lilah? Who's Lilah?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows raised.

Harry sent a glance to Lilah and Alexander across the street or as Harry knew him; the strange blonde American that always seemed to be with his godmother. Harry wondered if this was maybe a boyfriend of hers or a husband.

A smug smile graced Lilah's face, hearing Harry and Hermione say her name.

"That proves it Alexander; everyone needs a Lilah in their lives" She winked at him.

"Oh shut up!" Alexander hit her with the paper playfully, trying to restrain a chuckle, they had a brotherly friendship. They may fight at times, but are really best of friends. Lilah often wondered how genuine and meaningful her friendships from Hogwarts really were when she was with Alexander. Alexander was an amazing friend to Lilah, someone who really stuck by her.

They both broke out into laughter. The two hysterical laughs of the witch and wizard attracted a lot of attention from the other customers and people in the street- wanted or unwanted.

"Harry! Who's Lilah!?" Hermione asked the boy again.

"You wouldn't believe me if I said" he sighed.

"Who is she Harry?" Ron asked now suddenly curious.

"Well she's my Godmother. I found out the night I ran away"

"Blew up your aunt" Ron corrected with a snigger earning a glare from Hermione.

"Anyway she's staying at the leaky cauldron at the moment with a friend of hers, a blonde American man" Harry shrugged ignoring Ron's comment.

"Oh, Him!!" Ron exclaimed remembering the incident earlier, confusing Harry.

"Harry how do you know she's telling the truth?" Hermione asked a line of worry coming across her face.

"I just do okay. She told me stuff about my parents and-"

"And what?" Hermione asked.

"I just know Hermione, okay I do. We can ask her later if you really want"

"Fine" she said reluctantly.

"She helped me get away from The Dursley's. Okay I trust her"

"Why didn't she rescue you 13 years ago then?"

"I don't know Hermione! Okay I don't know she looked familiar to me at first, I didn't know why and then we spoke and I'm convinced. She's my _godmother_ " Harry said smiling at the word _Godmother_. Harry finally felt like he had some kind of family, a hope that he might one day be able to live with Lilah like she promised.

"If Harry trusts her then so do I" Ron said.

"Anyway like Harry said she's staying at the Leaky Cauldron and so are we so why don't we ask her?" Ron suggested trying to stop another outburst from Hermione.

"Fine" Hermione muttered giving in to his suggestion.

They now all walked back to the Leaky Cauldron together discussing the new subjects they would be learning in the upcoming school year.

* * *

 

Back at the Leaky Cauldron they found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily prophet.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him?" Harry asked.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely worried.

"They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Ginny and the new head boy; Percy.

Percy then went up to Harry held out his hand as though they had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy shaking hands. It was like being introduced to a political leader.

"Very well, thanks"

"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy"

"Marvellous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."

Percy scowled.

"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" said Fred as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand too. "How really corking to see you --"

"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley looking slightly annoyed.

"Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard the exciting news?" She pointed to the Silver prefects badge on Percy's chest.

"Second Head Boy in the family!" she said looking with admiration and pride at Percy.

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.

"I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

"Very true" Lilah muttered to Alexander gaining the attention of the Twins. The twins looked very amused and were instantly curious to who this mysterious woman was.

"I'm going to get ready for dinner" Percy excused himself still oblivious to the annoyance of his family members.

He disappeared and George sighed with relief.

"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."

Harry roared with laughter giving George a high five. Percy was awfully nice but he was very annoying.

* * *

 

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable. But extremely awkward at first for Harry's godmother who had to try and stay unrecognised by Arthur and Molly, but Lilah, had managed to get into an interesting conversation about pranking to the disapproval of Percy, who kept sending them judging looks.

"Wait so you hung enchanted nets from every door in the Gryffindor common room?" Fred asked with his eyes lit up.

Lilah chuckled. "Yep. Yep I did. I caught my enemy in it too I felt so accomplished"

"I would too..." George laughed.

"God the amount of pranks I pulled." Lilah reminisced.

"I have my detention record somewhere at home. My friend stole it from Filch's office in our last year and gave me it as a present" Lilah laughed loudly.

"Old Sluggy loved giving me detentions or so it seemed. I was in The Slug Club too though so he can't have hated me that much"

"The Slug Club?" Fred and George asked with a confused expression.

"Oh Professor Slughorn. He had a club of his favourite students and held dinner parties and stuff" Lilah explained quickly.

"Sound _boring"_ Fred scoffed.

"It could get that way" Lilah shrugged in agreement.

"Slughorn was the potions professor right?" George asked. "Mum mentioned him" Fred completed his sentence.

"Yeah he was"

"I wish we still had him" Fred groaned. "We're stuck with Snape" George continued.

"Severus?" She spluttered in shock at hearing his name again... He had taken the job after all...

Fred and George just groaned and nodded their heads.

"I'm guessing he's still a bit bitter then. Comes across like someone has pissed in his potion" Lilah explained Severus' feelings of the last time they met and the way he came across during her Hogwarts days.

Fred and George roared with laughter while Percy; still listening in to the conversation, shook his head.

"That's enough" Molly said sternly at the twins, Lilah ducking quickly, slightly confusing Percy.

"Lilah?" Alexander laughed making his way towards the table.

"Shssh!" Lilah hissed making Alexander and the twins laugh.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked

"I don't want your parents to see me. I'm supposed to be dead" She explained hastily.

"What do you mean?" George asked Alexander pulling her up.

"Well twelve years ago I was ' _murdered_ '." she started to explain, Percy now becoming interested.

"I was badly injured that is the only truth to that rumour. When all they could find of me was blood people assumed I was dead. But really I disappeared and I went to _occultum;_ In China. That's where I met Alexander" Lilah explained hastily trying to give minimal details, taking a glance at her American friend.

"Wait. _Occultum_ is real. The place exists?" Percy asked suddenly curious.

"Yes it is. Wonderful place. The people, the scenery, the community, just everything it makes it one of the most beautiful and extraordinary places in the world. I could give you some books if you like. You get given four upon arrival; to explain the place and the terms of living there" Lilah talked to Percy for the first time. He reminded her strongly of Thomas Jones the Ravenclaw prefect; very annoying but great for talking about books with.

"I'd love that" Percy smiled, Fred and George obnoxiously yawning behind their backs making Alexander laugh.

"I'll bring them down after dinner" Lilah returned the polite smile.

"Splendid" Percy said.

" _Splendid_ " Fred imitated making Alexander laugh even more. Alexander hadn't known the twins long but he adored them. They were two of the funniest people he had ever met.

Mrs Weasley turned around to scold Fred and George, but noticed Lilah making her instantly shocked.

"No- No. It can't be!" Mrs Weasley muttered to herself, her eyes becoming wider the longer she started at Lilah.

"Uh-h-h Hello Molly. _You look like you've seen a ghost_ " Lilah stuttered, no idea what to say, but remembering the awful pun she wanted to make. Fred and George sniggered slightly at that comment, Alexander just shook his head.

"Lilah is that you?" She asked in disbelief, Arthur suddenly turning around at the mention of the ' _dead_ ' acquaintance.

"Lilah Darcy?" Arthur said at the familiar witch.

"Arthur" Lilah smiled.

"Is it really you?" He asked, even more shocked than Molly.

"But you- how- what?" Arthur said unable to string a sentence together.

" _Occultum, its real!"_ Percy explained simply for Lilah. She was thankful he was around at this present moment.

"I'll explain it later. Same with you Percy. Alexander could help too. He lived there longer than me" Lilah smiled at Alexander recalling the night they met and her first week in _Occultum._ Alexander Vanor had a troubled past. One that would be difficult for anyone to recover from. Just like Lilah there was a lot more to Alexander Vanor than met the eye. They were very alike, but oh so different. They both related to one another in one way, but felt completely different in others. They both lost someone close to them. Someone who's relationship with them was more than friendship.

"O-o-kay" Molly stuttered walking over to Lilah and giving her a big hug.

"We've missed you dear" She smiled happily, a happiness mixed with pure disbelief. Lilah hadn't seen The Weasley's since the last Order Of The Phoenix meeting and they were delighted to see her again. Molly and Arthur were both a lot older than Lilah but that didn't affect their relationships in any way.

* * *

 

Just after dessert an upset looking Harry walked down the staircase; them creaking louder by each step. This attracted the attention of a few members of the table and they turned around to see who was joining them.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked noticing his expression.

Harry sighed deeply in distress. "Hedwig hasn't been back for 12 hours" He walked over to the table, slumping down next to George and Ron.

"She is an Owl harry...." Hermione attempted to reason.

"Oh well done what gave it away? The feathers, the wings of the constant hooting noise?" Harry replied sarcastically.

"No need to snap at me" Hermione retorted, Ron becoming uncomfortable in his seat and attracting attention from George, Lilah and Percy.

"I'm sorry Hermione." He sighed again. "It's just- she's never been away this long before and something bad is happening, I can feel it"

"He's not wrong there" Lilah muttered under her breath attracting the attention of Percy. _'I'll explain later'_ she mouthed to him.

"It'll be okay Harry. You're just paranoid" Hermione smiled weakly across the table at her friend.

"You're probably right" Harry replied reasoning with his own conscience.

"Dad?" Fred turned around from his conversation with Alexander; about vampires. To face Mr Weasley who was sat at the opposite end of the long table.

"How are we getting to the station tomorrow?" He continued.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," Mr. Weasley explained to Fred.

Everyone at the table now looked up at him.

"Why?" asked Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them"

"-- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked in a professional and dignified tone.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mrs. Weasley suddenly glaring at Ron who hid in his chair. Lilah wondered what on earth the boy had done. Whatever it was Lilah thought it sounded rad.

Fred noticed her questioning look and leaned in to her ear and whispered "Him and Harry missed the train so they flew the car to Hogwarts. 12 Muggles saw and they went into the Whomping Willow." Lilah snorted loudly, Harry was definitely James Potter's son.

"And as I work there, they're doing me a favour" Mr Weasleys finished Molly's sentence.

Mr Weasley's voice was casual, but Harry noticed that Mr. Weasley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under Pressure. Harry felt suspicious and knew instantly this wasn't the truth. Well not the full truth at least.

Lilah zoned out of the dinner conversations in the next few minutes, contemplating to herself. What was she going to do? She _had to find Black_. She had to. Her urge for revenge burned a flaming hole in her heart.

As dinner winded down; one by one everyone made their way upstairs to their rooms. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. Lilah was next door to Alexander and Hermione. Fred and George were next door to Percy, Ron and their parents, much to the dislike of the twins and Ginny was next door to Harry and Hermione. Harry opened his door to go and find Lilah to ask her the questions Hermione and Ron were planning on, when he heard some arguing people.

The first people shouting were Percy and Ron. But Harry knew exactly why that argument had started and who was the cause of it. The twins really were mischievous.

Harry walked past the arguing boys and averted his attention to the other people arguing. He could now hear another four voices.

Harry was walking down the corridor to the bar, which was now very dark; I mean it was 11 pm. As he got closer to the bar he recognised these voices. They belonged to Alexander, Lilah and Mr and Mrs Weasley.

Harry crept behind a post not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, or spotted them. Harry was intrigued as to what this argument was about. He was about to turn around and walk away but the sound of his own name drew him back.

"It makes no sense not to tell him,"Lilah yelled at Molly in frustration.

"Harry's got a right to know. I agree with you Lilah. It could only be worse if he doesn't know." Arthur shouted with a sigh.

"The truth would terrify him!" said Mrs Weasley shrilly.

"Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him?" Alexander said calmly agreeing with Molly wholeheartedly.

"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley.

"Exactly" Lilah exclaimed agreeing with Arthur. They were completely divided.

"Harry could have been seriously hurt that night" Mr Weasley referred to the night Lilah and Harry took the knight bus.　　

"But he's not dead, he's fine" Mrs Weasley replied quickly.

"Yes! But I saw Black that night he was creeping around in the shadows-" Lilah began to explain Harry's eyes growing wider. Not only was there a dog... But.

"What!?" Alexander shouted.

"You told me you'd be safe!" Alexander shouted once again.

"Sorry I don't have an Azkaban prisoner detector" Lilah snorted back. "Never needed one before" she added quickly; Harry became instantly shocked. Sirius Black was there?

"He needs to be told Molly" Arthur said, Lilah nodding her head.

Molly just shook her head and gave the pair disgusted looks.

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he escaped from Azkaban, that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, I don't care what it says in the Daily Prophet, and we're no nearer catching Black than bringing back the dead. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after-" Molly interrupted him

"But Harry will be safe at Hogwarts. It's Dumbledore. If anyone is in danger isn't it Lilah?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Still here you know" She muttered.

"Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts." Arthur replied with a statement Lilah had been thinking about for weeks.

"Fine, you two tell him" Molly started to say, Alexander's eyes widening in disbelief. Molly walked away and towards the stairs.

"No!" Alexander banged his fist on the table. Molly just turned around and gave him a smile. They still agreed with each others opinions.

"He'll find out eventually, and to be honest I'd rather it be now than when Black has somehow managed to break into Gryffindor tower" Lilah snapped at Alexander.

Alexander walked away shaking his head and taking deep breaths in order to stay calm and collected. He didn't want to say anything stupid that he would later come to regret. Alexander walked out of the leaky cauldron door and into Muggle London, the cold breeze hitting his pale face and messing up his blonde hair.

"We'll tell him in the morning" Mr Weasley turned to Lilah; she nodded her head in agreement. Tomorrow it was. Arthur made his way towards the stairs taking one last glance at the bar.

"Night" Lilah said to Arthur, turning around to say goodbye for now.

Harry ducked yet again with the means of going unspotted. He really wished he had had his invisibility cloak with him now.

Lilah made her way over the bar with a stressed expression and a loud sigh.

She interrupted the barman before he could even talk. "Firewhisky please" She groaned pulling herself up on to one of the stools.

"Oh and make it a double" She added quickly falling into another vortex of thoughts. Maybe the firewhisky would let her forget. Just for a while.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day...

 


	7. 6 - Sirius' Sixteenth

The cold November breeze slapped my face as we all wandered around the grounds together.

Today is the 3rd of November 1975, which means only one thing. It's Sirius' birthday, and not any normal birthday; no, its his 16th. Finally, he can legally do the things he's been doing for well, a while...

Now his 'secret' broom cupboard hook-ups were within the law...

He could also now smoke; not that he didn't before.

"So.. You're legal now pads" James smirked, elbowing his side.

Sirius' signature smug smirk was plastered on to his face as he replied. "Yes I am" He winked at James making him laugh.

Sirius always seems so proud when talking about his hook-ups. I don't really understand why getting close to STDS is an achievement; but each to their own I guess.

"Like that ever stopped him before" Remus snorted quietly, voicing my exact thoughts. I laughed and looked up to Remus, we were like twins sometimes.

Sirius looked at us and laughed too. "Very true, Mooney, very true"

"So, Sirius. Picked up any STD's yet?" I said, a slight playfulness to my voice. It was his birthday after all, the least I could do was leave my maliciousness behind.

"Nah Li, that's Annabella's present to him" James smirked. Remus, Peter and I all choked instantaneously.

"Ha, Ha" Sirius said in a bored tone.

No matter how many girls he would fool around with he'd always defend them. That's something I respect about him to be honest. Just don't let him know that. His ego is big enough already.

As much as Sirius makes my skin crawl he does some great things too. I know, what a quick attitude change in a month. Something just changed that night on the rooftop...

He is an activist for so many things back in the muggle world. It's really harsh and unfair out there. The amount of discrimination is unreal. Not that we don't have it here but there is so much more out there and Sirius strives to destroy it in both of our world's.

I'm not sure how one man would be able to achieve that but his efforts were so admirable to me, I respected him. I understood him. I think he did it to make the gap between him and his family even bigger than it was, but also because he genuinely believed in these things. I just wish he didn't numb his feelings in meaningless hookups, he respects the people he gets with but not their feelings. He seems to forget about that aspect. Maybe because he lives in a constant state of numbness to most situations.

I have nothing against the girls he gets with, I just wish they would think and understand what he's like so they don't end up in pieces and leave others to pick them back up. People like me.

I would never normally talk about Sirius in this manner but after this summer he has changed my mind about him. My opinion.

We had so many good times this past summer, before things got hostile again, it was a short lived era of peace, with James to attempt to keep it in place.

From late night chats about the muggle world and how we would be discriminated against, to late night shows in grungy venues surrounded by the sleazy, I actually got to know him pretty well but when he went back to school he changed into the person I knew he was before. The one I hated every part of. And this year had just been more intense than ever.

Not many people in the wizarding community are sexist or racist anymore but they're all topics close to his heart, and I love that. Rights for people who weren't as straight as a ruler were things important to him too.

I mean, he isn't exactly straight, he says he doesn't know what he is but doesn't want labels - I respect that.

One of his best friends is a werewolf too- one of the communities that face bad discrimination daily and he's from a racist family who he has always felt indifferent from. So his activism made sense to me.

I'm finally starting to get along with Sirius and its strange. Especially since my late nights at Slytherin house. I don't think he knows about that yet though. Well he does, definitely after his comment on the Quidditch Pitch but I think he just thinks I'm hanging out with Snape or getting drunk, not...

I feel so guilty because if he knew it would crush him, enrage him because I pick the strangest people to love. The ones I really, really shouldn't. I was betraying his trust so badly...

I know when he finds out that this short lived moment of peace is going to end. We haven't fought in 3 weeks and that's now our personal record.

"We all know you'll end up sharing the present with Lilah though Sirius" Peter spluttered looking proud of himself, suddenly plucking up some courage.

I immediately gagged and shouted "Gross"

Remus was now laughing. He looked so happy. he hadn't been very happy since the last full moon.

We all tried to reassure him that everything was okay after he accidentally attacked Marlene, but he felt so guilty. Marlene was fine and is now back to normal, well as 'normal' as you can be after trauma, but Remus won't accept what happened as simply past events.

He seemed to be getting back to his normal mood though. He looked over to James who was also in fits of laugher.

James' smug smile returned to his face and I knew straight away this wasn't going to be good. It was a sign of his unwanted cockiness rising inside of him.

"I don't think someone would be too happy about that though... Yeah I've seen you sneaking back to the common room late at night"

That bastard. I know he has no idea of my betrayal and is just making jokes but this really isn't helping...

"You have a boyfriend? " Sirius said stopping in his tracks. Surprise I guess.

"When did that happen?" He asked his eyebrows raised and a strange expression on his face which I couldn't quite pin to one emotion.

"When did I say I had a boyfriend?" I raised my eyebrows attempting to be sly around the subject. There's a reason I'm not a Slytherin.

"Lilah, you're convincing no one" Lily said making James laugh louder than he should. I was still shocked Lily was willingly hanging out with James if I was honest. A true moment in the history books.

"You can tell us" James said wriggling his eyebrows, making me believe the exact opposite to his statement.

Like I'd tell them anyway. I'd get ditched, for a good reason too  
I'm not going to be the bitch that ruined Sirius' 16th.

Remus shook his head "like that's going to convince her James"

"Well I've heard rumours which I may repeat if you don't spill" James smirked.

"Go ahead buddy" I replied. Like they were going to be true. He was intelligent, careful and covered our tracks. There was no chance.

"I heard you've been getting very familiar with the dungeons recently" James smirked at me.

Lily's eyes widened in shock while Sirius' face turned to disgust.

Peter had zoned out at this point and Remus was attempting to find the truth through my facial expressions and tone of voice which unfortunately, he was very good at.

I simply rolled my eyes and said next. Knowing that I could fool the others but that Remus would be on my back about it later.

"Black hair" he continued.... Lily and Sirius' expressions getting more dramatic by the second.

"Top of class..." He continued just as Lily looked like she was going to vomit.

"SEVERUS!" she exclaimed, disgust laced in her voice

I simply laughed "no no no" they had got unfortunately close though.

"Are they a Slytherin though?" Sirius raised his eyebrows in disgust.

I held back a slight blush thinking about the boy I was with secretly, the one that was younger, the one that would enrage Sirius and I knew I had to try and lie more convincingly, he wasn't stupid, he could put two and two together.

I laughed hiding the reality in the back of my body language, unseen to anyone, but one "who do you think I am?"

Sirius' face almost lit up at my statement, it was strange.

It must the house rivalry and family history, that's what I pinned it to but I was so wrong and Sirius couldn't figure out why he was so happy about my statement either. Not yet.

Sirius wanted to change the subject ASAP, to ease my obvious un-comfortableness and go back to celebration.

He put his arm around me shocking me slightly and he screamed "let's party!" sending James into laughter in an attempt to change the subject noticing my unease and un-comfortableness.

Lily and Remus were face palming themselves at Sirius's action. That was just screaming 'give us detention!'

"Are you trying to get McGonagall to kill us!?" Lily exclaimed sending a glare Sirius' way.

His signature smirk slid on to his face once again "oops" he shot a look my way somehow sending a smirk on to my face too.

"Let's get our of here" Remus whispered to our group getting anxious at the thought of the teachers catching us.

"BUT I WANTED TO GO SWIMMING" Sirius exclaimed making the group shush him almost instantly.

An awful idea floated into my head, it would be awful if we got caught and we need Remus and Lily to agree to the plan, which was unlikely but they needed to live a little.

"How about a perfects bathroom pool party" I smirked looking the birthday boy directly in the eyes.

"I like your thinking" Sirius replied to me, with his smirk still gracing his face.

"No, no, no-" Lily and Remus began to speak, James anticipating this reaction.

"Live a little" James scoffed at the pair sick of their sensibility.

"I'll sweet talk Ava Metts into giving us the password and there we go" Sirius muttered in a nonchalant manner as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Maybe to him it really was.

"Meet me there in 30 mins" he winked running away from our group and towards the castle.

"This is a bad idea...." Remus muttered, he was kind of right... Definitely right...

* * *

 

"Looking hot Darcy" Sirius smirked his wet black hair flowing down his neck as he looked me, 'his enemy' up and down.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere Black" I scoffed walking towards the giant bathtub that was practically a pool, that the perfects got the pleasure of using. Such a pity that Sirius, James and I would never get in here properly, as if anyone would make us prefects.

I put one leg in to the pool attempting to slowly slide into the pool but sliding in way faster than I ever anticipated.

Sirius grabbed my leg pulling me into the pool with him and into submersion under the bubbles.

Sirius was in hysterics. Somehow this was hilarious to him. It wasn't to me.

"Fuck you Black" I spat out the soapy water which I had accidentally swallowed directly at him, choking slightly as I rose to the surface glaring at the boys soaking locks.

There was a strange tension between us. Neither of us could figure out what it was, well, I think Sirius had an idea but he wouldn't believe it... And neither would I. Ever.

We were just inches apart, "Happy Birthday" I muttered to the boy, making myself feel strange in the stomach, I shocked myself by even saying it, the words flying out of my mouth before I could even process the idea. I wish I hadn't said it.

He smiled genuinely back at me, a smile so bright, a smile so deep. His arm snaking around my waist and pulling me even closer to his shirtless body, sending my heartbeat into overdrive, making me panic, making me...

There we were, nose to nose unsure of how we got there, unsure of how we felt.

"Thank you-" he murmured back his eyes looking deeply into mine trying to read some kind of emotion from them.

"WE'RE HERE!" James suddenly burst into the doors of the perfects bathroom yelling, as he did a lot, Sirius and I, moving as fast as we could, as far away from each other as we could before the rest of the group joined us.

"Oh my-" James stopped in his tracks his eyes widening at the us, had he seen what happened? I just hoped that meant the rest of the group hadn't seen, or the two other people now with them, Marcus and Marlene. My two best friends.

I have a boyfriend was all I could think.

But I couldn't shake my strange encounter with my most hated friend no matter how hard I tried.

Not even when I was in the Slytherin common room, with none other than his brother, getting into our conversation and make out, more than ever. Unsure as to why.

The boy in the pool was the only thing on my mind, that night.

And I hated it.


	8. 7 - Sleep

**_ 7- Sleep _ **

Flashes of the past invaded Lilah's mind just before she woke.

It was becoming like before. Like when she first arrived at Occultum. Being back was already driving her insane. She thought she had moved on. She had moved on.

But it's happening again? Where the mind destroys every concept of sleep. Where sleep becomes non-existent. Haunted.

Only one person in the past had been able to sooth her fully of this condition. Two if you counted the man whose name she would never mention. The man whose name no one would dare to mention. It's a shame now both of these men have a tag of shame hanging above their heads today. When they both don't deserve them.

Others had helped in the past, sure. Lily, James, Remus, Marlene, Marcus, Alexander.

But it was these two men that took her problems away.

How she hated it, how these men helped her cure her problems. How she hated relying on others and how she hated it that she had to rely on two people she would never had even considered being helpful. She hated how her life was made better by them. She felt like she was stepping into the role of a damsel in distress; and there was nothing she despised more than the idea of that.

She had many contradictions in her personality. She didn't care for social ladders and stepping stones but she didn't like to be hated, she found it fun; but deep inside she wondered why people felt this way about her. As for social stepping stones, well, she didn't care for marriage; it was but a piece of paper to her.

Another contradiction within her was Lilah and the two men... They took each other away from their problems and boy did they all have them. Some never were resolved, war is nasty. Some still could be, but situations change and with them so do people's attitudes.

"No, not again" Lilah woke with a start mumbling under her breath.

Images flew though her head as she ran to the bathroom for a glass of water.

The bathroom floor was covered in dirt and there were a few dark coloured hairs in the sink. The room smelt damp and like the countryside, which was weird for London. However Lilah didn't seem to notice and if she did, She shrugged it off.

_'" You're not as bad as the character you portray are you?" She smirked._

_He smirked back "Oh yeah?"_

_"Nope. You're not a bad boy at all. You're a giant nerd who loves poetry, coffee and jumpers"_

_"Well..." He mumbled." Maybe some of that is correct sweetheart" he said slowly._

_"Maybe?" she raised her eyebrows._

_He laughed "Okay all"_

* * *

 

"Grow up Lilah" she mumbled to herself, splashing her face with water.

"He murdered people" she said. Hatred filling her lungs once again.

"So did the other" she walked away from the sink throwing her wand across the room, on to the rickety old chair in the corner.

However, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake the past out of her mind. The memories had stained her brain and would torment her forever.

* * *

 

_"You smoke?" She coughed as he sent a gust of smoke towards her face._

_"Occasionally" He shrugged taking another hit on his cigarette._

_She pulled a face of disgust at him "Disgusting"_

_He blew smoke into her face again "Don't be like that love"_

_His signature smirk crept on to his face. He pushed his long black hair back out of his eyes and his baggy jumper up his arms. His posture was the same as always. Like a god. It's funny for an atheist. It's even funnier when the observation was made by one also._

_"You're killing yourself slowly" She rolled her eyes at him. She loved to feel wise. Especially around someone who thought like a philosopher and talked like the Messiah._

_"And where did you hear that news love?" He asked an amused expression on his face. He leant towards her and pushed her hair back behind her ear. He was now sat parallel to her, his grey eyes staring into hers of the same colour._

_"It's been in medical guides since the 1800's. Please" She rolled her eyes again._

_"Just because the muggles are just discovering that fact doesn't mean you can be ignorant" She continued, flipping her wavy brown hair to the left side of her face and smirking right back at him. She leant in to his face; they were so close their noses were nearly touching._

_She bit her lip and stared right at him. She loved to make him feel weak. She felt no genuine attraction to him. Or at least she ried to tell herself she didn't. She thought she felt the attraction of the one she had lost. The one who looked oh so similar. The one who shared the brain of a philosopher. The one who shared the most similarities with this man. The one he knew as a person but never knew personally._

_Lilah loved a bad boy, and there was nothing she liked more than revenge. Combined it was her perfect potion._

_He dropped his cigarette out of his hand and stomped on it with his large black combat boots._

_His arm crept around her waist, and his hand up her face. As he got closer to her the scent of his breath went up her nose and her smirk widened._

_He leant in going for a kiss just before she moved._

_"Not today, not ever" She spat bitterly._

_He looked utterly confused. Lines appeared on his forehead and a glimour of hurt in his eyes._

_She grabbed the liquor bottle and climbed back through the window and off the roof._

* * *

 

This memory made Lilah smile with accomplishment. She wanted to cause as much damage to this man as she possibly could.

It was almost sadistic.

She had never felt this way about a person before. She wanted to burn him until all that remained were ashes of all those years. She wanted to kill him. She wanted him to die. Slowly, painfully and unhappily.

Vengeance, Revenge.

* * *

 

_"Well, Well, Well the red Darcy in the Slytherin common room. Welcome to the place you should be" A brown haired boy sat in the Slytherin common room said smugly. His legs were draped across the arm of a vast black, leather, chair. A book of charms resting in his hands._

_"Oh shut up Avery." She said in annoyance. "You sound like my mother. I don't give a fuck if we are cousins, I don't like you!" She snapped. She had had enough of people overall today. After the most extreme weekly prank from the marauders, she was angry._

_The black haired boy, that had stolen the Gryffindor's heart laughed loudly from the chair across the room. "Aww your friendship is so adorable" He said sarcasm and mockery dripping from his every word._

_She had never even noticed he was there. He was a quiet thinker. But with such an extraordinary mind she wasn't surprised by this._

_"You shut up as well!" She tried not to laugh, her dark brown wavy hair falling down the front of her face._

_"You're adorable when you're angry" He smiled widely at her. You could see the love in his eyes. It was pathetic, it was beautiful._

_He walked across the room his skin getting brighter with every step. The sound of the river hitting the windows. This was the most relaxing place in the world to her. The dim green lights, the darkness, the cool breeze and his face._

_He may not have been as handsome as the others who liked her but that wasn't why she liked him. Falling for him was unintentional; it was a plan gone wrong. One that went wrong for both the boy and the girl._

_He was the opposite of her. Maybe that's what made them work. He was calm and collected; she had no grasp of even the concept of anger management. He believed things that made her sick to her stomach, but she couldn't let him go. Maybe she loved the danger; maybe she loved making others jealous. Maybe she was in love with him. She doesn't know the answer to these questions herself._

_As he reached the tall brunette, he slid his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her cheek._

_Her insides felt warm after this. She felt so unbelievably comfortable. She turned her head to stare into his grey eyes. The boy and the girl were exactly the same height which made it easy for her._

_"So, why are you here at" He looked at his watch. "2am"_

_"Aren't we all wondering, blood traitor" Avery muttered to himself._

_She heard this and gave him a deathly look. This amused the other boy. He did think that Avery was right about the girl though. However he always let this go; in his lovesick trance._

_"I was looking for Severus" She muttered._

_"Well that's offensive" He removed his arms from her waist, Avery laughing very loudly at her statement._

_She rolled her grey eyes. "I need to warn him"_

_"About what?" Avery asked dropping his book. Suddenly he was interested in what she had to say._

_She sighed loudly. "Do the words 'Weekly Prank' give you a good enough idea?"_

_"Oh God" He said suddenly serious, his eyes widened. These two words mean something to everyone. That definition was usually amusement or terror._

_The black haired boy now turned around. His eyes even wider than Avery's._

_"How bad?" He asked genuine concern for her and Severus present in his words._

_"The worst yet" She shuddered, memories of past pranks coming back to them all._

_"I'll go get him" Avery practically leaped out of his chair and towards the dormitories._

_After Avery had left the room the black haired boy turned around and asked "What happened?"_

_He then pushed the wavy, dark, brown, hair out of the tall witch's eyes._

_She sighed, upset and angry._

_She leant in to the black haired boy and whispered the details of the prank into his ear._

_The boy shook his head muttering in disgust and anger "They're going to regret these pranks one day"_

_The tall brunette now looked alarmed. She had never seen him this angry before. 'Cool and collected ' were two defining words for his personality. This terrified her. She knew what Slytherin's were capable of when angered. After all her family is full of them. Her grandmother had shown her the lengths Slytherin's would go to for vengeance. She was now wondering if she had made the right choice at all._

_"I need to think" He suddenly shoved past the girl going back to his dorm for a little while, leaving the girl waiting for Severus and Avery to return._

* * *

 

"Lilah!" Alexander knocked on her hotel room door, pulling her out of the vortex of her own thoughts.

She stood up and made her way over to the battered, coffee stained door. Each floorboard creaking with each step, her socks soaking up the moisture on them.

She mumbled "Morning" opening the door to her tall, tired, American friend. He looked worse than ever.

Alexander snapped suddenly  "You wanted this so now's the time to go"

Anger was present in his voice. She knew instantly this was her and Arthur's time to warn Harry about the one and only Sirius Black.

His words annoyed Lilah greatly. "What the hell is your problem?" She asked

He scoffed loudly. "As if you don't know"

"Get over it!" She snapped at him.

"Fine" He said bitterly giving her an obvious fake smile.

She stepped out of the doorway, quickly slamming the door behind her. To Lilah nothing was more satisfying in anger than a door slam.

Lilah and Alexander stared at each other for several seconds before looking away and silently making their way down to breakfast together.

She hoped he'd get over this situation quickly but she had a feeling that wouldn't happen at all.

The worst part was she could hear was Sirius' mocking voice in her head saying " _trouble in paradise_?" over and over again. As if he was invading her every thought. As if his voice was on a continuous loop. It was almost as if he was present. These types of thoughts and memories hadn't happened in years. Something must've triggered them. Something had.

She shook her head in an attempt to feel sane again. But she had lost sanity long ago. Whatever 'sanity' was.

The September light shone through the doorway and staircase to the bar. Everyone was sat around the table, eating, laughing, having fun, and catching up. Harry smiled widely at her, waving too.

She gulped at the sight of him.

Now on to the warning. She thought to herself.

Lilah made her way down the creaky steps and towards the very long breakfast table.

Percy Weasley had saved her a seat right next to him and was now gesturing to it.

After she had been seated, Ron pushed a large glass of water and a plate of toast towards her.

"Thanks" She whispered with a smile to him. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and then went back to his conversation.

As she turned around to face the end of the table Fred and George said loudly and energetically "Morning Lilah!" distracting her from her thoughts and making her feel a little less angry. She really liked Fred and George.

"Morning" She smiled to them, taking a large gulp of the ice cold water in front of her; hoping it would cure her horrible headache.


	9. 8 - The Quidditch Incident

**8- The Quidditch Incident**  
"What Happened?" A soft voice sounded from behind my back. I could recognise it instantly. It belonged to Remus. His voice was a calming sensation to me. He made me feel calm. Remus was truly my best friend. I hoped it would always be this way.

I chuckled lightly. "You heard it all then?"

He took a few steps towards me, his towering height becoming obvious. "Not all" He shrugged. "The majority. I'd rather you tell me though. It makes me feel more polite"

I laughed. "I nearly told him it all, every single detail. It was like I was spilling every inner thought of mine. It was awful"

* * *

  
_"Cry me a river Sirius. Why don't you tell me about how shitty your life is because guess what a lot of other people aren't living perfect lives either. My family are psychopathic, they're-." I cut myself off again. Sirius seemed taken aback._

_"But you know what you have to do. Grin and bear it. Deal with it." I gave a weak but frustrated smile._

_"You can leave when you're 16. Just deal with it. And you know others don't have perfect lives either. Lily and her sister" James' ears suddenly perked up at the mention of his 'beloved' and the attempted cover up of my emotional leak._

_I continued "Don't get along at all. Lily tries her hardest. She loves her sister but her sister treats her like an animal. A freak. She bullies her. All Lily wants is her sister back."_

_"And then there is Marlene. Her brother was killed two months ago. Do you think she's living happily?" I spat. I didn't know how to feel right now. Why on earth did I almost spill to Sirius Black and James Potter of all people...?_

_I glanced back into the classroom and saw Remus glancing back at me. He knew. Somehow he knew. He always knew._

_I swear he has the hearing of a hound. And mind reading abilities. Friendship I guess..._

* * *

"An emotional leak?" He questioned, perching on the arm of the royal red armchair.

"That exactly" I gulped.

"I thought you were writing a diary like R-he suggested" Remus said trying to hide his disgust, almost saying his name.

"I was, and then it all kicked off" I sighed deeply lying down on the royal red armchair adjacent to Remus.

* * *

 

 _Sirius smirked widely, his eyes going across a line he was bursting to read. I quickly put my hand over_ ** _his_** _name in a last ditch attempt to save my plan._ ** _Our_** _plan._

_This plan was brewed by me last week outside the Slytherin common room. It was after Sirius and James' weekly prank. I normally just get them back but I have had enough._

_Sirius has stepped over the line. He's going to pay for everything he has ever done to me. He is going to pay for every girl he has messed around, every girl's heart he has broken. He is going to pay for the amount of people he has bullied for circumstances they can't change, for no reason at all. Sirius Black disgusts me, he angers me, but worst he amuses me. That's the one thing I hate the most._

_All the girls in the room were now watching. I don't know if this is because of that pathetic crush they all have on him or the fact an argument between me and Black never ends well._

_I could already hear Lily tutting and telling me I should've known better. We aren't exactly friends but we do share a dorm and she's constantly harassed by the Marauders, so we have some things to talk about._

_Sirius winked at Marlene shocking her completely and making her turn a shade of bright purple. They'd 'dated' before; if you can even call it that. Sirius Black doesn't keep a girlfriend for more than two weeks. That's his personal record so far._

_I quickly gave Marlene a look which she understood. She knew Regulus had given me the book and its purpose. She had probably guessed what Sirius had read too. She knows me too well._

_"A piece of the Black deliciousness huh?" He smirked._

_I laughed loudly knowing he hadn't read it all. "Wow honey you actually think that comment was about you and from me?" I used my sarcastic nickname for him; making James choke again and Peter chuckle quietly hoping to not catch Sirius' attention._

_"What babe?" He asked also shooting Peter a glare. He didn't like Peter laughing at him for some reason. I know Peter is a bit of an idiot but I can't help it if he appreciates my humour._

_"Okay let me help you darling" I said softly picking up the book with no problem._

_"The thought of dating either of them makes me want to projectile vomit. I wouldn't touch Sirius with a ten foot broom' " I read out loud making Remus and James both burst into laughter and all the girls gasp while also covering up my own tracks with a boldfaced lie._

_"You seem to have fun hitting him in the face with brooms though" Marcus Everett laughed from two desks parallel, referencing a former fight between Sirius and I._

_Quidditch Keeper for Gryffindor, a very good looking boy who lights up the rooms he steps in to, an activist for LGBT rights and one of my best friends. Our small little group consists of Marlene, Marcus and I, but, we join other Gryffindor friendship groups very regularly._

_Marlene' attitude towards him isn't the best. She finds him very attractive and also is dying for a gay best friend which... Don't even get me started on._

_Marcus doesn't exactly fit that stereotype though. He's not a camp person. He's in fact very masculine. Not many people are aware of his sexuality. I only know because of an incident with a broom cupboard that shouldn't have been occupied, if you get my drift._

_"That sounds slightly wrong" Florence Brooks whispered to Emmerline Vance._

_"That's why James won't leave us alone on the pitch anymore" I laughed._

_"You lost that one Padfoot" James patted Sirius on the back. He wasn't done though. He isn't the type to give up._

_"This book though, is complaining your new talent?" He asked in a bitterly amused tone. Nice try Sirius._

_"No Sirius we all know complaining about your shitty life is your job" I retorted. All the Marauders and Marlene gasped at this comment. So I've struck a nerve. Brilliant._

_Emmerline and Florence now looked very amused even the Slytherin's heads had turned. I've got to say I've never seen Severus look so smug; and he wasn't even the one who had spoken._

_"Excuse me?" Sirius said in an angry whispered tone._

_"Miss Darcy, Mr Black outside now. I'll deal with you two in a minute and 20 points from Gryffindor"_

_"20!" Lily exclaimed in shock. The Slytherins looked at each other and rolled their eyes at this comment, some also snorted._

_I stood up from my desk at the same time as Sirius and made my way out of the room, also shoving Sirius into Remus' desk on the way. This simply enraged him more._

_The last thing I saw before exiting the room was James chucking his pot of ink at Snape. The ink splattered all over the row of Slytherins. I've got to say I've never seen a Slytherin so angry; except maybe my darling grandmother._

_Put it this way James was going to regret that action a hell of a lot. They might not get their revenge today, perhaps not tomorrow but they would eventually and James would have to look out._

_I've learned a lot about Slytherin's in my time. I've been surrounded by them my whole life. I am scared for James._

_"Mr Potter, I think it would be wise of you to join them" McGonagall said giving James her infamous look._

_"What are you doing?" Remus hissed to him._

_"Lilah and Sirius arguing? Do you think I'm missing this?" He exclaimed as McGonagall shot him another look._

_"I'm going professor, I'm going" James raised his arms in the air in surrender, backing his way up to the door._

_"Five year olds" Lily breathed under her breath._

* * *

 

"Do you think he'll forget?" I asked hoping for an answer I knew I wouldn't get.

"Sirius, oh hell no. James, if you're lucky" Remus gave me a pitiful smile.

He began to talk again "You know you and Sirius are very similar. You have a similar upbringing, you-" I cut him off in complete denial.

"Don't be gross Remus. The last person I want to be alike is Sirius Black"

Remus laughed loudly "Well I hate to say it but you and Sirius are so unbelievably similar. You even look similar"

"We're both from pure blooded families. That's our only similarities" I said sternly.

"Okay so your house, appearance, views on people in the Wizarding world and Quidditch positions don't matter?" Remus said smugly.

I shook my head at him. Ignoring his statement even if it was factually correct.

He smirked, then continuing "also when you were drunk at the Gryffindor party last week and had to describe your ideal guy Sirius fitted that description perfectly"

"Don't be disgusting" I pushed Remus off the armchair, him falling to the floor with a laugh.

"I was wasted" I tried not to laugh.

"I know but how do we know that drunken Lilah isn't honest Lilah?" Remus chuckled, stumbling back to his feet.

"Please no amount of alcohol could make me like Sirius Black" I muttered with a face full with disgust.

"Touché" Remus muttered under his breath. He thought I couldn't hear him. How wrong he was.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I smirked; my face lighting up with interest. Remus would almost always defend Sirius. They were best friends.

Remus mumbled, looking uncomfortable. I felt like this was just the situation he was trying to avoid.

"I guess you could say me and Sirius have had a falling out..." He tried to explain.

"How!?" I asked in utter confusion. Those two have been friends since first year and haven't fallen out before. Why now?

"It's nothing really... It's-" he began to speak. However I knew exactly what he was going to say.

Remus suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence. I simply stared at him, waiting to hear the end of it.

"His new girlfriend Molly" he said his voice laced with disgust. I can say I feel the exact same about Molly Parks. Ravenclaw, fourth year, gross.

Everyone would've thought a Ravenclaw would have a big enough brain to know dating Sirius Black is a bad idea.

"Are you jealous?" I teased him.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Obviously Lilah. There's nothing more I want than to be the person who gets their face eaten off by Sirius" he scoffed.

"It's your absolute dream isn't it?" I said in the most sarcastic tone possible.

"You know me so well" he said in a similar tone. I loved our friendship.

He looked over at me, dimples appearing in his cheeks and mine. We held our gaze for a couple of seconds; then we completely lost it. We burst out laughing until we choked.

"No really though, what's his girlfriend done that's so annoying? I mean for me it's exist but you have more patience"

"Are you sure you aren't jealous" Remus said imitating me.

I rolled my eyes imitating his response to that same question.

"No it's just... He's spending so much time with her these days and it's... I don't know. ." He scratched his head.

"Come hang out with me, Marcus and Marlene?" I suggested I was currently injured so I didn't have to go through James' excruciating, military style Quidditch training. Well for the next three days anyway. He's truly gone insane with this new program.

"I'd rather not" he scoffed "your group now includes someone I'd be murdered for being spotted with and besides he hates me"

I sighed deeply "R- he doesn't hate you!" I stuttered almost saying his name, but not wanting to be overheard by anyone who might tell James or worse... Sirius.

Remus didn't believe a word of it.

"He just doesn't particularly like you" I said plastering a fake grin on my face.

"See" Remus raised his eyebrows.

I sighed in an attempt to change the subject. "So what are you guys doing tonight? I mean it's the first Friday this year without a party going on"

"What? There's been loads of free Friday's..." Remus pondered while I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. Surely he had realised where I'd been by now.

"Oh..." He raised his eyebrows once again.

"You've been to other houses parties" he stated.

"Yes I have. Don't you go to any of the other parties?" I asked suddenly releasing; Remus never seemed to be at any.

"I went to the Hufflepuff one two weeks back and a Ravenclaw one at the end of last year but I normally stick with Gryffindor." He explained.

"Ahh okay. I went to the Hufflepuff one too. I've been to 2 Gryffindor parties, 1 Ravenclaw and 3 Slytherin" I said trying to remember every weekend. It was beginning to become unhealthy, my intake of fire whiskey.

"Lilah it's only October" Remus laughed.

"I can't help it if I'm popular" I attempted to defend myself in pretentious manner.

"Also there have been 3 Gryffindor parties." He smirked knowing for well where I was that night.

"I know you weren't sick." He continued.

"You were down at Slytherin"

I mumbled quietly "well I'm not going to deny it..."

"But you're not going to admit it either" Remus laughed.

I pulled the sleeves of my oversized sweater down my arm. "You know me too well" I chuckled back.

* * *

 

"OKAY DARCY STOP PLAYING UP THE FAKE LEG AND GET ON THE BROOM!" James shouted at me from across the pitch.

He's truly gone crazy. We're playing Slytherin soon and we cannot afford to lose.

I agree that Slytherin need their arses handed to them on a plate, but at this point, James is going to have us all burnt out before the match has even begun.

"IT'S NOT FAKE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M IN IMMENSE PAIN" I shouted back.

James sighed and simply shouted back "WELL CHANNEL THE PAIN INTO INJURING SLYTHERINS"

"YOU MEAN THE FLYING JUMPERS STUFFED WITH PARCHMENT, BOTH OF WHICH YOU STOLE FROM REMUS?" I snorted.

James sighed and turned around in annoyance at the new Seeker, ignoring my comment.

"HE'S EVEN GIVEN THEM NAMES DARCY" Marcus shouted with an even louder laugh.

"Yep, Smug bastard 1-7" Patrick smirked as he flew past me; diving for one of the quaffle's James was aggressively throwing.

I laughed. Typical James.

I finally got on my broom, grabbed my bat, and flew into the air; searching for the bludger's and my partner in crime.

But he wasn't there.

"WHERES BLACK?" I yelled over to Marcus.

"Do you really wanna know?" Marcus asked me with an almost sympathetic look on his face.

I don't know why everyone thinks I like Black. I detest him and Marcus' answer told me exactly what I expected.

He's blowing us all off for his stupid girlfriend. If I was James, I would've kicked him off the team already.

He's dragging us down. He's the reason we're going to lose this season. But James would never kick him off the team. They're best friends and Sirius gets a free pass to do whatever he wants because of that.

They'll learn some day... Sirius is going to be the downfall of Gryffindor one day and his stupid friends aren't going to know what hit them, or this house.

Everyone is going to sit their obliviously and try to erase their own memories. I dread that day and I'm not just going to sit around and watch it all happen, before my eyes.

At that very moment I was snapped out of my thoughts by Mr Black himself; stumbling onto the pitch, messily dressed with lipstick smeared down his face. How it disgusts me.

Marcus shot me another pitiful smile, as he hit the quaffle out of the goal and back into my sight.

"YOU'RE LATE BLACK!" Patrick one of the chasers yelled at him as he landed on the ground.

"30 minutes to be exact" I mumbled under my breath. Sirius isn't just wasting the team's time; he's wasting mine too. What use is one beater with 15 bludgers? Like I said James has gone a little crazy...

"Oh shut up Darcy!" Black snapped at me, throwing his bat to the ground and giving me daggers for eyes.

He's like a spoilt, 5 year old, child. I would say I'm surprised, but I've become numb to his antics after this amount of time.

There's nothing I'd like more than to see him pay for all his crimes. To see him heartbroken for once in a while. To see him get the same consequences as we all get now.

I flew quickly to the ground, jumping off my broom about a foot above ground, which was a bad choice considering my ankle.

"Did you have a fight with your ickle girlfriend" I pouted at him and said in a childish tone, trying not to stumble on my ankle which I had just hurt even more.

He said nothing, all he did next was pull his Quidditch sweater off and throw it to the ground.

He then repeated the same sentence again. This time as a quiet grumble "Shut up Darcy"

Now I was going to let him have it.

"No Black, you shut up. I'm injured, but I'm here. However, you can't keep it in your pants, and see that as an excuse to waste our time. Well I'm done with it!" I threw my own bat to the ground in a similar fashion. Glaring straight at him and into his eyes.

James still oblivious to everything going down.

"Injured!?" Sirius shouted with a laugh.

"Please you injured your foot sneaking out of the Slytherin common room last Saturday night" He gasped as if he'd wanted to say this for a while.

Marcus and Patrick turned around, both shock in their eyes. How did he even know I was there?

"Well that's better than injuring my back after shagging a third year in a broom closet. Creep"

"Fourth year hun. I don't fuck with third years. Unlike you" He smirked.

What the hell was he talking about?

"I have no idea what you're talking about" I stated.

He rolled his eyes at me and treated me like a child.

"Miles Kenmont?" He stepped towards me with a smirk. I've never even talked to him once.

"Alicia Peterson" I said back in a similar fashion.

Sirius simply winked at me.

James had finally started to walk over.

When James finally reached us he sighed and said "You're late" sternly to Sirius.

"Congratulations on that conclusion James" I spat sarcastically, reaching down to pick up my bat.

Sirius just sent me a deadly look which I returned with the fakest sweet smile.

"You can't keep doing this Sirius..." He sighed.

"Mate, come on!" Sirius pleaded.

"I'll have to cut you..." He mumbled.

"Yeah how am I meant to take 15 Bludgers on my own?"

"It's not my fault James has gone insane" Sirius spat smugly.

James looked really offended. "I have not gone insane" He said attempting to hide his anger and stress. He was failing at that task.

"It's not my fault you're a terrible beater!" Sirius stated stepping even further towards me. We were now almost nose to nose.

"Excuse me!" I shouted in a shrilly tone.

The whole team now looked taken aback. No one would ever have the nerve to insult another player; especially one on their own team. Sirius had crossed a line. No one knew what was going to happen next. Even I didn't know myself.

"Okay If I'm a terrible beater, WATCH THIS!" I yelled mounting my broom and grabbing my bat once again.

Sirius smirked. "Fine" he said then grabbing his bat and flying up into position just like me.

Marcus and James then looked at each other. "Oh no..." they said simultaneously.

I grabbed my bat and placed it right behind my head ready to swing.

Things kind of escalated from there...

The next thing I know Sirius had a broken shoulder, I had a broken my ankle again and I was now the Gryffindor Seeker.

* * *

 

"She's a psychopath!" I heard Sirius exclaim to his friends inside the Common Room. Even though the music was booming you could still hear his snide remarks.

Just pretend you didn't hear. Don't get mad. I said to myself mentally as Marlene gave me a strange look.

"You okay there?" She chuckled.

I just smirked back and repeated the sentences to myself again.

"Lilah..." Marlene persisted.

"Oh fine it's Sirius.." I grumbled.

Marlene sighed and looked me in the eyes "Oh Hun" She said a slight look of pity present.

"I don't like him! Why does everyone think I like him!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"The perfects bathroom party" she mumbled under her breath.

"I don't know. Look just push today out of your mind and have some fun!" She grabbed my arms and did some weird dance thing.

I laughed.

"Fine let's go!"

Marlene pulled me through the makeshift red curtain doors (that were obviously stolen from the dorms) and into the busy, loud common room that had been magically transformed.

How McGonagall hasn't found out about this party is a mystery to me.

She'll find out at some point, I'm certain of that.

There were people sat on armchairs, bottles of various alcoholic drinks in their hands. Fire whisky was a favourite at Slytherin parties but here people seemed to like to experiment more with alcohol.

What can I say, we are the braver house.

"Lilah!" James shouted running across the room to where Marlene and I were stood.

"Oh God..." Marlene muttered under her breath, making me laugh immensely.

"Hello James!" I greeted him happily.

James had a weird glint in his eye. One that we all knew meant only one thing. He was drunk.

He suddenly grabbed me, and pulled me into the strongest, most excruciating hug I have ever endured.

He pulled away slightly and a wide smirk slid on to his face.

Creepily and closely he breathed onto my neck whispering into my ear "I know your secret"

He pulled away fully and locked eye contact with me for about 6 seconds.

I sighed "What Secret?" I asked simply bored. James comes out with all sorts of bullshit while drunk.

"Youuuuu likeee himmmm" He said as if he was a small child. Marlene laughed at this comment but I wasn't as amused.

"Who?" I asked in the same tone as before.

"Sssirrriuu-" I shoved my hand swiftly over his mouth.

I shuddered at the thought of it. "Don't be gross Potter"

He slurred, the scent of alcohol dripping off his breath "Youuu dooooo"

Was he being for real right now?

"One day you'll realise I'm right and you'll be all over each othrrrrr" James slurred.

Marlene was now in fits of laugher at my embarrassment.

Marlene reached out to James who was lunging towards the drinks table and pulled him backwards

"I think that's enough firewhiskey for you" she stated.

"Awwww, we were just about to play never have I ever!" He pouted as if he was a child again. I guess alcohol also brought out the child in James, even though that part of him was usually present anyway.

"How does that involve alcohol?" Marlene asked in confusion.

"You take a shot for every thing you've done. If you puke you're out" He shrugged picking up a large bottle filled with a blue, vile looking liquid.

I snorted "That looks like window cleaner"

"Awwww come on Lilah, play with us" He pouted yet again. So here is needy James? I swear he has 10 different personalities while intoxicated.

"Fine" I groaned.

James grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the fireplace, Marlene behind us.

There were 11 people sat in the circle. Remus, Sirius, Peter, Florence, Emmeline, Lily, Marcus and Patrick. Marlene sat down first in between Remus and Sirius, I sat down second in between Lily and Marcus and finally James sat down next to Marcus and Patrick.

Sirius' face automatically filled with hatred and disgust. Don't worry the feeling is mutual.

"Well, well, well look who turned up" Sirius glared in an attempt to be some kind of villain.

Lily rolled her eyes at this and Sirius himself. "Well she does live here Sirius" making me laugh.

James jumped at the sound of her voice. He was so obvious, he didn't need to say a word.

"Yeah, give it a break Sirius" Emmeline groaned.

Sirius looked more enraged than before. "Shut up all of you" he grumbled in a deep voice.

"Let's move on shall we..." Remus said awkwardly.

"Good idea Mooney" Peter chirped.

"Right.. I say youngest starts then?" Remus suggested.

Sirius groaned at Remus' suggestion, realising he was the oldest in the circle.

Sirius was the oldest, his 16th birthday not too long ago. Patrick was second eldest with his birthday in December and then it went Lily in January, Me in February, Remus & James in March, Marlene in May, Marcus in June, Florence & Peter in July and finally Emmeline in August.

"Well sorry Grandpa I'm first" Emmeline smirked at him pouring out 11 shots ready for us to take.

Emmeline thought for a second before gasping as an idea came to her mind.

A sly smirk slid across her face. "Never have I ever had a sexual dream about someone in the circle" as soon as she said this people's eyes went wide.

I groaned loudly as did Sirius, James and Marlene.

Marlene, James, Sirius, Marcus, Florence and I all grabbed a shot and quickly threw it into our mouths. The strange blue liquid was now recognisable. Blueberry flavoured Tequila.

"Really guys" Remus sighed with a laugh.

Florence simply replied for us all with the statement "Are you really surprised?"

"Lilah really?" Lily asked in shock. "Who!?"

"Probably Sirius" Marcus murmured giving me a cheeky glance.

"Yeah" everyone except Sirius agreed. I knew this was just a joke they all had but I didn't find it funny anymore.

"I hate him!" I exclaimed in an attempt to defend myself even though I knew for well they wouldn't believe me.

"Me too Hun" Sirius echoed back in a careless manner.

"Sure sure" James rolled his eyes as Peter thought of his statement.

"We could be here a while" Marcus whispered into my ear making me snort and Lily shake her head disapprovingly.

"Never have I ever kissed anyone in the circle" Peter declared.

"Are all of these sexual?" Marlene complained as she picked up another shot.

"We'll have to wait and see" Sirius winked at Marlene making her instantly blush. She still liked him and it was awful. I think Sirius genuinely liked her before but he broke her heart; just like he did to so many other girls .

Marlene, Emmeline, Florence, Sirius and Patrick all took a shot that time.

It was now Florence's turn and no one knew what she was going to say. At all. Unpredictable was defiantly a word to describe Florence.

She hummed quietly as she thought of her statement. Then she looked around the circle to see who was there before smirking widely.

"Never have I ever played Quidditch" She said knowing well that at least half of the circle played Quidditch.

Sirius groaned loudly before Patrick said "screw you Florence" which made everyone chuckle.

Sirius, James, Patrick, Marcus, Marlene and I all took another shot. The liquid burnt as it slid down my throat.  This felt a lot stronger than firewhisky. It probably wasn't though. Not much was stronger than firewhisky.

Now it was Marcus' turn and we were all dreading whatever he would say. Marcus is hilarious but can say some really explicit things.

"Never have I ever dated someone younger than me" Marcus said surprising us all. That was strangely PG for him.

Sirius sighed before saying "is this attack Sirius night?"

"If it was I would be way more involved" I laughed giving him a playful wink.

"Take your shot Sirius" I passed shots down the circle to the guilty Sirius, Marlene, James and Florence. Then grabbing one for myself.

"Wait what Lilah..?" Remus said before quickly realising who I meant and muttering an "oh no".

I glared at Remus until he went silent again. If anyone else in the circle found out (except Marlene who already knows) about me and... **_him_** then I would be disowned by them all.

Dating a Slytherin, especially one related to a ' _friend_ ' wouldn't go down well.

"Yeah.." I mumbled as Marlene thought of her statement.

"Never have I ever cheated on someone" Marlene stated sending Sirius a deathly glare. This was really becoming attack Sirius night.

Sirius shook his head rapidly as he grabbed a shot and quickly downed it. He was the only one in the circle to take a shot that time, unsurprisingly.

Next it was James' turn and as it was drunk James no one knew which one of his personalities would be talking.

"Never have I ever seen a muggle band live" James stated as his personality transitioned from silent James to 'pureblood what is anything muggle?' James.

Lily, Marlene, Sirius, Florence, Remus and I all grabbed a shot that time.

"Oh nice Darcy!" Sirius said approvingly from the opposite side of the circle. "Who'd you see?"

"I saw Queen in Manchester, you?" I asked him suddenly intrigued. Sirius has a similar music taste to me

"The Rolling Stones, in London back in 73" Sirius smiled. He would've only been 13 then but it doesn't surprise me that he saw the stones live.

Lily suddenly interjected "I saw the Beatles in London"

Lily's love for the Beatles was well known in Gryffindor house. She played their music too loudly for people not to know.

"That's so rad Lily" Patrick exclaimed.

"Yeah super cool. Did you meet them?" Marcus asked almost drooling. We all knew his love for the Beatles too but he tried to hide it in front of the guys.

"I did! Well I met George and Ringo. Maybe I'll meet Paul and John someday" she sighed dreamily.

"Lilah!" Florence exclaimed as if she had just remembered something important. "Didn't you meet Freddie Mercury?"

I chuckled back recalling the memories from the concert last year.

The answer to that question was yes.

Yes, I have met Freddie Mercury and what an amazing experience it was.

He's someone I admire a lot so meeting him was surreal. I didn't get to meet any other members of the band but I saw the back of Brian May's hair close up so I still feel lucky.

Marlene laughed "I met Freddie too you know"

Marlene was with me that night.

"Damn Darcy, that's awesome. How come you never told me?" Sirius asked in shock talking over Marlene.

"I hate you and we didn't exactly get along well last year. We didn't even talk  civilly"

"What about you then Marl?" Sirius asked in confusion as he would've been dating Marlene at the time we saw Queen and met Freddie.

Marlene blushed as soon as he said her nickname but she tried to act cool and hide her emotions.

"You were boasting about how you saw a wizarding band I didn't even know walking in Diagon Ally" she scoffed.

"Sorry Sirius, Freddie is cooler" Marcus interjected. Emmeline nodded her head agreeing with that statement.

"I saw Pink Floyd in Newcastle" Remus said in order to join the conversation.

Florence suddenly clapped her hands before practically screaming "I saw them in Manchester!"

James sat there looking as confused as ever. "That's cool, but who are these people? That beetle and queen and what is a Pink Floyd?"

Half of the circle burst into laughter.

"You're such a pureblood James" Patrick laughed.

"Agreed. And I'm a Darcy" I chuckled. I knew a lot about muggle culture for someone who was taught muggles were scum and knew nothing about them until Lily educated me in second year and through the materials my cousin snuck into our house at family events.

James slurred leaning over to me, putting a hand over my mouth. "Shhhhh you only know about muggle music. That's it" he lent in close and accidentally spat on my face. He's truly disgusting sometimes.

I glared at James, removing his clammy and simply gross hand from my mouth.

"I guess that's true" I said my face still full of disgust.

Marlene laughed intensely at us. I think drunk James was her favourite person.

We spent the next 2 hours playing Never Have I Ever where the statements got more outrageous by the second.

Later on that night that we trooped up to the roof where we all thought James was going to fall to his death several times.

Maybe climbing to the top of a tower while drunk wasn't the best idea.

I was glad we escaped when we did. Half and hour after we left McGonagall found out about the party and well, I don't think I need to explain how that isn't good.

The night was very strange, I got along with Sirius very well. Maybe things would change for the better... Maybe it was just the alcohol.

The last thing I remembered from that night was talking about the stars with the people left on the roof. Sirius, Lily, Remus and I.

"Why are you actually tolerable now?" I mumbled after Lily and Remus had drifted off to sleep.

He laughed making intense eye contact with me. "It's called alcohol babe" he said while pushing his jet black hair out of his eyes.

I smiled at him, resting my sleepy head on to his chest. "Why can't we get along normally?"

He thought for a few seconds before looking at with with a smirk.

"It's the stars my dear, oh no A SCORPIO AND AN AQUARIUS. FIRE FIRE, RUN!" He shouted loudly and suddenly making me jump, only amusing him more.

He was imitating our divination teacher in our first lesson back in third year. Our first and final lesson.

I laughed loudly and so did he. His bark like laugh echoing around the castle.

It all went silent after that. My mind was full of thoughts and I was mesmerised by the stars.

Eventually everything began to fade away.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep I heard a mumble "who cares what the stars say"...

What's that supposed to mean?


	10. 9 - Fugitives Part One

**9- Fugitives**

"Well it's now or never" Arthur Weasley whispered into the ear of the tall witch.

She knew the importance of their task. She had to warn him. Who knew what would happen if she didn't?

Normally she would shy away from these kinds of situations, the pure awkwardness, and emotions. But she felt responsible for Harry, in a weird way, maternal...

She shook her head grossly at her thoughts and the idea of being a mother. She was his godmother but her role was never to become his mother. Even if that was what the role of a godmother was meant to provide.

Her role was to help him as well as she could while sorting out her own affairs... And she had many of them to 'sort out'.

Lilah was the type of woman who patience didn't come to easily. She wanted to round up her own personal affairs as quickly as possible. As impossible as that seemed and as impossible as that was.

"Ok" Lilah gulped in response to Arthur.

Arthur and Lilah took several steps towards Harry, pulling him aside into a vacant area of the bar.

"Harry-" Arthur began to say but Harry already knew the words that would leave his mouth.

"I have to warn you..." He mumbled, obviously uncomfortable.

He coughed, pulling himself together again before continuing his sentence.

"You know this guy is?" he gestured to the moving wanted poster of Sirius Black, who was looking as deranged as he possibly could.

"Sirius Black?" Harry replied way too loudly making several heads turn.

Shouting the name of a convicted mass murderer, in the middle of a pub, doesn't attract the best attention.

Lilah shushed him in fear of the name bringing back people's memories of that incident. Although, those 'memories' have probably already been brought back. They had for her.

How long would it be before the ministry found out she was alive?

She didn't know, no one did.

But everyone knew it would be soon and there would be a _storm_.

"Sorry' Harry replied almost instantly.

"It's ok Harry. I just want you to be on your toes, watch out" Arthur tried to say in the least suggestive way. He didn't want to inform Harry of the situation in a blunt way, like Lilah might've done alone.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked looking for clarification even though he knew the answer.

"Well..." Arthur began to explain becoming more uncomfortable by the second. He was now tapping his feet and fidgeting with his hands.

"The ministry have a list of people Black may be looking for..."

Harry looked really, really confused. "And I'm one of them?"

"Why me?" He continued...

Lilah had to improvise fast. She didn't want him to know the real reason yet, or ever. It wouldn't be good for him, at all.

"He's suspected of looking for many people Harry. Famous ones, ones in the news, ones he's met before. It's random really. But you need to know. You were suspected as a target as it happened the night after your parent's death, so he'd remember your name from the newspapers clearly." Lilah talked quickly. She had never spoken so much rubbish in her entire life. Not even in her Divination exam.

Arthur looked at Lilah in confusion but continued the conversation on anyway.

"Yes, exactly Harry" Arthur said but Harry could tell he was lying. The ears.

He could tell that Lilah was much more complex than he realised too. _Why would she lie to him?_

Harry tried to shake this thought from his mind, but no matter how hard he tried; he couldn't.

It would stay with him, haunt him for this whole year.

It would follow him. Like a dog.

* * *

 

They all said goodbye at the station, Lilah knew she couldn't stay long. She wouldn't go on to platform 9 & 3/4, that was too risky for now. For once she was thinking before acting.

She was unsure what the ministry would assume, but she knew it wouldn't be good. The ministry had always been full of idiots.

Lilah hugged Harry whispering "write to me?" In his ear. She wanted him to know he had someone to talk to, as much as she wanted someone to talk to herself.

Alexander her American friend hugged him straight after. Even though he hadn't known Harry for long he felt responsible for him. Alexander always had a paternal side. He would've made a great dad...

Alexander truly cared for Harry but Harry also brought back many 'what could've been' scenarios into his mind. If events hadn't occurred like they did, and he hadn't of lost his wife.

Alexander shook these thoughts away. Or at least he tried.

He knew if those events never happened he would never have met his British friend and he reminded himself of that. Everything happens for a reason, he liked to believe, even if Lilah would despise the entire phrase with her whole being.

Lilah meant the world to Alexander. He would happily give his life for her or her happiness.

He never knew for sure if she'd do the same. But he hoped.

Lilah looked around the busy entrance of the London station. She felt home again. Even in a muggle world.

"We really have to go Harry..." Lilah sighed feeling wishful. Wishing that she could stay longer. Give a proper goodbye.

Harry was sad. He wondered why the best things always ended so abruptly...

He tried to push his sadness aside but, it was still visible in his voice. His tone. "See you soon?" He mumbled. Almost embarrassed?

"Sooner than you know" Lilah smiled back, a slight smirk sliding on to her face.

Harry's face then turned to only what someone could describe as beyond confusion.

Alexander laughed, noticing this expression. "She likes to be dramatic" he rolled his eyes at her.

"It's my job!" she exclaimed, a slight laugh present in her voice also.

The three exchanged glances once more before they said their final words. "Goodbye Harry" Lilah smiled weakly, beginning to turn around and away from the hectic mess that is Kings Cross Station.

Alexander waved, following Lilah back into the bustling London streets.

Harry waved in the distance. He hoped he'd see them as soon.

* * *

 

"So what do we do next?" Alexander sighed as they looked at their rough notes and sketches.

"I have a few ideas" Lilah said. A smirk arising on her face.

Alexander rolled his eyes. He was used to Lilah and knew exactly what that face meant. 'I'm trying to be dramatic but secretly have a stupid idea'

"Spill"

"Ok, so you know Dumbledore-" Lilah began.

"Stupid question. Everyone knows Dumbledore" she shrugged continuing.

"I say we go and see him. He was always so helpful and surely out of everyone he'd understand?"

"Right?" She asked in need of assurance.

"I don't know Dumbledore, you do..." He muttered

She sighed loudly.

She muttered under her breath "I'm so tired..."

He sighed too, the feeling was mutual. He was already tired of this situation. She was exhausted from the strange dreams from the night before.

"Well it's worth a try?" He suggested to try and encourage her. Although she didn't need much of that, once the revenge kicked in.

"Yeah. It probably is" she sighed folding up the masses of notes in front of her.

"I say we go late, after the feast?" She suggested.

Alexander shook his head. His father had taught at llvermony in the USA and even though the two schools were different he knew that they would have no chance of catching Dumbledore after the feast. Too busy, too late.

"Tomorrow morning. 10am" he said. After breakfast but still early enough to avoid attention.

"10am it is" Lilah smiled. Things were starting to look less impossible after all. The first part of the plan had come into place.

* * *

 

"Time to wake up!" Alexander knocked at Lilah's door.

It was 9:20 and she still hasn't awoken. Plagued by nightmares of the same man as before.

He was inescapable but she didn't know what had triggered the dreams.

"Lilah" he knocked at the door once more.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" she grumbled pulling herself out of bed and tip toeing across the wooden floor boards.

The door opened and Alexander was greeted with the most unhappy and tired facial expression possible.

"Yikes, you didn't get much sleep" Alexander laughed entering her room, closing the door behind him.

She groaned. "No, no I didn't"

"I had these weird dreams" she sighed.

"Then I woke up freezing cold. I must've left the window open"

Alexander gave a confused expression. "I could've sworn you closed the window?"

Alexander distinctly remembered Lilah talking about how it was a chilly night and then closing the window...

"I guess not" Lilah shrugged rubbing her eyes.

"Ugh" Lilah groaned, sitting down in her bed, she was exhausted.

"Grab me that boot please" she said pointing to the brown boot abandoned across the other side of the room, by the window.

"Sure thing" Alexander said walking across the room and picking it up.

"Ugh!" Alexander exclaimed. "There's water all over the floor!"

"Where did that come from? It must've rained...?" Lilah tried to pull a logical explanation together; even though she knew logical explanations often were missing in the wizarding world.

She didn't want to have to think about other mad things right now. She had enough. Although she would think about it a lot later...

"Lilah I'm telling you, that window was not open last night and it did not rain" Alexander said slowly in a calm tone, even though, in his head he was freaking out.

Lilah's eyes widened before she shook her head. "I'm sorry Alexander, I don't want to think about some window conspiracy theory right now"

Alexander rolled his eyes. He was concerned by her lack of care but also by the intruder. "But!-"

"Later Alexander, later" Lilah groaned. "I have to surprise and question a man over 100 years old who thinks I'm dead today. I'm kind of saving my energy for that."

Alexander mumbled his annoyances under his breath.

"I'll see you at breakfast..." He stormed off out of the room and went downstairs.

* * *

 

They ate breakfast in silence. It was rather awkward, for everyone around. The tension could have been cut with a knife.

"Aren't you going to say anything" Lilah raised her eyebrows at the American wizard.

He shrugged trying to appear nonchalant "what is there left to say?". As much as he tried to appear one way it was obvious what he was thinking and feeling inside.

"People always have something left to say" she mumbled...

Something had been brewing in their friendship for a while now, something bad. They never fought but all their little arguments had built up and they were about to explode...

He snapped. He really snapped. This was very out of character for Alexander, it was as rare as a fight in their friendship. It was a strange day.

"Well I'm not one of your _friends_ from school am I?" He spat, quoting the air on the word friends.

"Well if you can even call them friends anymore, none of them seem to care. Or be brilliant people. Let me think: dead, dead, dead, dead, werewolf, mass murderer, death eater, dead." He got up and began to make his way back to the stairs when Lilah snapped in a similar manner.

She was beyond shocked Alexander has never said anything like this before, he was the person who never wanted to offend. It was so very out of character.

"How dare you-" she snapped back attempting to pull an argument together in her head, when only statements that didn't connect came to mind...

"How can a dead person care? Besides I don't see any of your _friends-_ " she air quoted in a similar manner.

"Contacting you. Seems like the only person you have is your wife... Oh yeah had" she stood up to his face with the most disgusting smirk.

Lilah's comment shocked and offended him as much as his did to her. She'd never mentioned his wife before in a way like this... He thought she understood.

"You're nasty and emotionally unaware of anyone's feelings!"

He stepped even closer to her and whispered directly into her ear "I'd never mention _him_ like that, how dare you do that about _her"_

Lilah had numbed her emotions, like she always used to. It was surprising she even felt anything anymore or didn't explode like a bottle.

"Fine, I'm leaving" she said bluntly, aggressively sending her suitcase flying from her room across The Leaky Cauldron.

The case almost hit poor Alexander's head although, that probably was her intention anyway.

"Lilah-" Alexander called out already feeling guilty about the things that had left his mouth.

Lilah didn't listen, she just continued to strut out.

The tall American wizard sighed and walked over to the bar. A place he was finding himself increasingly these days. He slumped down into his chair and ordered himself the strongest thing he could think of at that moment, a double firewhisky.

The barman chuckled to himself, Alexander becoming increasingly more confused and insecure by the second.

Alexander gave the man a confused glance, triggering the explanation he craved.

"It was just like that before" He shrugged almost reminiscent.

"She'd argue with a tall fella, long dark hair. They seemed to disapprove of each other's choices..." He said while cleaning the glass in his hand.

He continued "They obviously liked each other, too dumb to see it. That's young love" He patted Alexander on the shoulder with laugh as Alexander began to realise the accusation he was making.

Lilah and Alexander liked each other? In more than a friendly way? No chance.

"N-no it's it's not like that-" he stuttered back in shock.

The barman simply gave him an unconvinced look back and walked off.

He was confused and still slightly annoyed but he knew he couldn't leave her chasing after her crazy mission on her own. He knew they needed each other, he cared too much to let a petty sleep deprived argument ruin it all...

* * *

 

The tall American wizard wandered around Hogsmeade wondering what the hell he was going to do. Trying to apperate without the attention of muggle London was difficult enough...

He had decided to sit and think until lunch before changing his mind, realising how his chances of getting spotted sneaking into the school would be even higher then.

He paced and paced before he saw two wizards dressed in obvious Gryffindor robes leaving the Leaky Cauldron, laughing.

Alexander recognised these two boys as none other than the Weasley twins who he had been around just over a day before.

He decided to follow them because they must've snuck out of the castle somehow. There were no trips today...

Alexander tip toed behind the two stumbling twins. Someone had been drinking....

He was confused as to why they were sneaking into a sweet shop, but neither the less he went with it.

The twins then quickly ran across the shop floor to the entrance of the cellar.

Are they stealing stuff? He thought to himself. But continued to trust the twins.

Alexander then found himself inside a dark, dark tunnel. He was very tempted to use the Lumos spell but didn't want to attract the attention of the twins to himself.

He kept walking behind the twins for what seemed like forever. Before he slipped up, literally.

"Did you hear that George?!" Fred asked loudly to his twin.

"Absolutely Fred" George replied looking as startled as Fred's voice sounded.

"Fuck" Alexander mumbled under his breath as he saw the twins backtracking towards him.

"Alexander!?" They both said together in shock when they saw him on the floor.

"We thought you were Filch or someone!" George exclaimed offering his hand to Alexander.

Alexander accepted, the twins helping him up.

"So you couldn't get enough of us then Xander" Fred joked.

Alexander rolled his eyes sarcastically replying "absolutely" which made the twins chuckle.

"Really though mate, what are you doing here?" George asked.

"Lilah" he sighed shaking his head for the 10 millionth time today.

"Slippery one her, always on the move" Fred recounted from their few meetings.

"Well she's come to see Dumbledore for some reason and I need to find her"

"Oh no mate...."

"Everyone thinks she's dead, they'll think she's an accomplice to what happened with Black!" The twins examined.

Alexander gulped. "That's what I'm afraid of"

Lilah didn't belong in Azkaban and he'd make sure she didn't end up there. 

* * *

 

Lilah ran into Hogwarts being less than inconspicuous...

It would be most surprising if she got away unseen.

Lilah felt at home here, reminiscent of her school days. The mischief, late night walks, quidditch matches and forbidden love.

Who knew so many memories could flood back by just standing in a doorway?

Lilah definitely hadn't forgotten her way around this place and ran off quickly up the stairs, towards her destination.

She attempted to make as little noise and be as sneaky as a Slytherin.

She ran as fast as she could up the first three marble staircases making noises louder than she had intended.

Even with the sound Lilah still thought she was doing well and she was until...

"D-Darcy" a man spat. His voice was instantly recognisable, no one's sounded remotely similar.

Lilah's eyes widened in shock. Oh no, she thought to herself.

She slowly turned around fearing her imminent fate.

"S-Severus" she stuttered. He was one of the people she was trying so hard to avoid...


	11. 10 - The Letters

A scream escaped my throat as I threw the stack off letters across the grass. Empty threats with sharp words all from my beloved 'family.

It's 2am and I'm sat near the lake, under the big oak tree in my giant Qudditch jumper.

Underneath the leaves of the tree. It's leaves are a comforting canopy and Hogwarts is so pretty at night...

I just hope no one catches me this time. I don't know if I could deal with Dumbledore right now.

I sighed loudly slumping back onto the hard cold ground which was weirdly comfortable. There was something so freeing about the outdoors, especially at night with the gentle noises of the lake accompanying my mind.

Staring at the stars I thought of everything that was bugging me.

I just looked up. Wishing that a shooting star would come by and grant me a wish.

 _"_ So you got more letters then?" A low voice sounded from behind me as if they had just woken.

_"Yes..."_

I recognised the mans voice instantly, I think it would've been more concerning if I didn't. It was still shocking to me how much their voices sounded alike. How much he sounded like my own family members too, and me.

He walked up from behind me, rubbing his grey eyes, just awoken from his slumber. He let his pitch black long hair fall down his face, the emerald green of his quidditch jumper bouncing off the moonlight. He eventually slumped down against the tree I was sat at, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"It's going to be ok you know?" He said in an effort to calm me, to make me feel alright but he was lying, simply unable to tell me the truth as he didn't want to hurt me, he cared more than he ever had intended to, and it still conflicted him. As it did me.

I would've been lying to myself to believe his words too, but I wanted to feel at ease, I wanted to believe his words even for a second so I could be a normal teenager, or try to be.

"I know I shouldn't listen to them, but after so long the words constantly thrown at you begin to penetrate the armour you put up and being so emotionally insecure from blocking it out, you crumble" I breathed heavily struggling to keep it all together.

"I'm so scared, I know I'm a Gryffindor, we're supposed to be brave but I know what they're capable of, I know how heartless they can be, I grew up with them, they're my family and just growing up in a stable environment, well for us, has left me broken. I don't want to shake the table but it seems like my entire existence is a conflicting to my background, my family and I can't help it. It was fun to annoy them at first but now it's whenever I breath, I get threatened and I don't know how to deal with it" my breaths got faster and faster and I spat out every single thought and emotion on my mind, almost unwillingly, as his arm tightened around my shoulder in an effort to comfort me as I talked.

I felt bad as soon as I said it, as I knew what he was thinking. He knew Sirius and I had a lot in common and I could tell all he was thinking is - 'is this how Sirius feels?'

"I don't think I was supposed to be a Gryffindor, or a Slytherin or a Ravenclaw or even a Hufflepuff" I said a slight tone of disgust on the word Hufflepuff. Unintentionally.

"Lilah..." he turned to me, pushing my hair behind my ears, holding my face in his hands. "You belong here, ok, don't let anyone think you don't, don't let your own self doubt make you think you don't belong here, you're a pure blood, you're from a historic family, you're a powerful witch you belong here more than so many others" He began to speak slowly, calmly, collectively and most importantly truthfully, I could just tell with him.

"I know we have an ongoing joke that you're meant to be a Slytherin, we can stop that if you like-" he stared deeper and deeper into my eyes, feeling bad that his joke had hurt me, however I didn't care about the joke at all, it wasn't that.

"No, no no- the joke is funny, I get it honestly, you don't have to stop" I responded quickly to ease his emotions at the idea of causing me harm.

Relief crossed his face instantly "oh, good, good. I don't want to ever hurt you, I promise I won't ever hurt you, I won't let anyone hurt you" he sat up suddenly both his hands on either sides of my face, as he gazed into my eyes with a look of sincerity and almost anger.

"You mean so much to me, so much to your friends, I hope you know that, I hope you know that their words don't reflect everyone else thoughts, at one point they reflected mine I won't lie but I got past the hatred and stereotypes instilled in me about your family and I'm so glad I did." He spoke truthfully however I could tell he still thought certain things about me, he still considered me a 'blood traitor' deep down, he still hated my surname and my family, deep down and he still hated what we were deep down but his feelings for me overcame all of that.

He pulled me closer now into a deep embrace that we sat in, maintained for minutes, in silence, with no sounds except for our own breaths and heartbeats, taking a moment of tranquility and comfort. The two of us both never experienced intimacy or emotions as a child but together we were discovering what true relationships looked like, and the true meaning of the word family.

"I am so scared Reg. What will happen when they find out about this? Us?" I asked pulling away from his arms, this dreadful thought invading my mind.

"Who says they will" he raised his eyebrows as if I was doubting his, and my own ability to keep a secret.

"Ok so what if? It's them they most likely will, what about when your family find out?"

"Then we'll come up with something, we'll say it was an attempt on your part to ruin 'the Black family' to 'infiltrate' or to attack Sirius" he used air quotes, his intelligence seeping through his words, these plans.

"And for my family, we'd do the same, they trust me, they believe me and as for Sirius well maybe our planning back when we first met wasn't useless" he chuckled slightly trying to lighten the mood with his last sentence.

I chuckled too, he did make me feel better.

I turned to face him directly, to look at the intensity in his grey eyes directly, which always made my heart skip a beat, I crossed my legs and took in the moment.

"How did this even happen" I accidentally let my thoughts slip into my words.

Regulus chuckled lightly, he had been thinking the exact same thing, this whole time.

He gently picked up my hand and put it in his, running lines up and down it with his fingers. "Well, one day, I heard you in the corridor with Severus, almost having a breakdown about how Sirius had pranked you, Severus and his muggle born friend... How you had had enough, you said you wanted to make him hurt, as he made others hurt on a daily basis and I felt the same. I knew I could trust you because Severus did, and I know your hate for my brother would outweigh any hatred you had for me. I know the way our families work and even though this was unconventional and breaking a ton of rules I knew it was perfect, and I knew you were intelligent enough to see it too. Then we met every night for a month, in the library, here, in my dorm, scheming, and one night you kissed me-"

"Hey, no no no, you kissed me!" I denied being the one that started this whole thing.

He laughed knowing I was lying and knowing I kissed him first, he held my hand tighter "no, no, no, it was you and you know it" he smirked, his smirk mirroring his brothers, almost scarily.

"Ok so maybe I did" I threw my hands in the air as he laughed again "but you were going to kiss me!" I said accusingly, pointing at him.

He smirked again with a chuckle "maybe I was... but you were the one that instigated this"

We both sat in silence for a few moments, our own self destructive and self doubting thoughts invading our minds again.

"You know though, if this hurts you too much, if I hurt you, we can break up, I don't want to ever hurt you-" he began to get into his own self doubt, it spilling out in his words.

"No, no, no!" I grabbed his hands, "this pain, if it causes me pain is worth it, I'd be in so much more pain without you" I spoke with a brutal honesty.

"You make me the best version of me" I spilled my thoughts involuntarily yet again. He had that effect on me. That was one of the many effects he had on me.

He looked up from the ground, his eyes lit up at my sentiment, we begun to get closer and closer, both knowing where it led and not wanting to stop for even a second.

His nose now touched mine, as we both sat there, our breaths hitching, getting heavier and heavier, the tension, the intensity, rising and rising.

As I looked into his eyes I saw so many emotions, so many that we shared.

It was strange, I'll admit. But maybe it wasn't so wrong?

The Slytherin and the Gryffindor seeker, a member of the Black family and a member of the Darcy family. Two purebloods, two powerful wizards, two intelligent students... I could go on.

Maybe it was a bit wrong.

It definitely was a bit wrong.

But you know what they say, it's better when it feels wrong.

So wrong yet so right.

People had predicted a member of the Darcy family would date a member of the Black family. It was a prophecy, one of many that echoed similar messages. Some predicted two from the same Hogwarts house, both estranged, falling in love, possibly getting married, possibly having a child but being split up by the complications again and again and again. That was the common theme of them all. The hardship. The complications.

Betrayal, death, false imprisonment, war... a few more reasons to list from the many prophecies.

I was glad that wasn't me as it sounded emotionally exhausting and I knew I didn't want it. I didn't deserve it, and as much as I hated Sirius and I knew he didn't... or Regulus as it could've been just as easily about him, or maybe even none of us at all.

It also predicted the end of the family feud and the start of a joined powerhouse.

There were others that were less specific all were fairly tragic which I should've perhaps took as a warning but none seemed to fit us, or I couldn't see how any of them fitted us, after all most of them seemed to allude to Sirius and I, if indeed they were about us, our generation, of the Darcy's and Black's.

Perhaps that's why I got so many threatening letters, they were scared of them becoming true. But it wasn't Sirius and I they had to worry about. It was the one they didn't expect, that I didn't expect, but the one that felt so wrong but so right.

Perhaps one of these prophecies would come true, but I truly doubted that; doubted divination in general, but only time would tell.

He leant in, one of his arms snaking around my back and the other on the back of my head. I felt so comfortable in his embrace it somehow felt like it was meant to be happening?

As he got closer and closer my breath hitched, the butterflies in my stomach got more and more intense, even after these few months the feelings felt the same, as intense as ever.

I could tell he knew how wrong this was deep down, and so did I but that made us both want it more and more.

His plump lips collided with mine, his clutch around me becoming stronger and stronger as he pulled me closer and closer to him, as our kiss deepened. My hands going into his hair, running back and fourth through it as ecstasy ran though my entire body and a small moan escaped my lungs. He spun me around, pressing me against the tree we were both just leant against, as his body loomed above mine, against mine, no space between us, as our kiss deepened more and more I felt more than I could ever describe, I knew whatever pain this would cause me, cause him, it would be worth it.

Regulus Black was worth it.

 


	12. 11 - Fugitives Part Two

_She slowly turned around fearing her imminent fate._

_"S-Severus" she stuttered. He was one of the people she was trying so hard to avoid..._

* * *

The invasion of Hogwarts couldn't have possibly gone worse.

They only wanted to talk to Dumbledore but things escalated way too fast for that to occur.

Lilah escalated to fast for that to occur.

Severus escalated to fast for that to occur.

She hexed him and ran knowing he would send word around the castle of an invader, a fugitive, a now 'associate' an 'ally' of Sirius Black.

Or that's what The Daily Profit would try to feed people.

"Fuck!" Lilah yelled at the sky, the pair on the side of a cliff, not far from the Hogwarts grounds, unsure of what to do anymore.

How was she supposed to clear her name now?

It was _impossible_.

She only knew that any attempt would end up with her and her American friend in Azkaban and unlike Black they would have no idea how to escape.

"It'll be alright Lilah" her blonde friend rose to his feet to sit beside her. Patting her shoulder for reassurance.

He knew they were in trouble though, only an idiot would deny that fact.

He had no idea how the pair would proceed, he had no idea how they could.

They couldn't sneak into his homeland of the US. The security was tighter than the UK...

He weighed up their options in his mind, the only two options coming to him. Hide out, or go back to China and he knew the girl wouldn't give up and he didn't want her to.

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" She exclaimed in anger standing up yet again and kicking the rock beside her.

It was unbelievably painful and she regretted it instantly but she wouldn't admit that. It would just make her look stupid which admittedly was the best word to describe their actions that day.

The pair sat on the cliff all night trying to figure out what to do, to plan but no ideas came to their minds. _Nothing_.

As night fell the pair got more peaceful.

Sleepy?

Stupid?

Unaware of their surroundings.

The night was cold and crisp yet it didn't seem to awaken their minds, they seemed to be in a daze of their own creation.

The pair stared at the sky, finding the constellations they could remember the names of from school, the glowing _full moon_ in the background of it all.

Neither of the friends quite comprehended what it meant.

They were stuck in momentary bliss, stupidity caused by their own attempts at escapism.

They only realised when it was too late. When the girl's best friend was staring them in the face, only in a form that wasn't so recognisable, a form the man hated.

"Oh my god" Lilah's eyes widened as she scrambled backwards towards the pairs belongings, seeing a hulking shadow which she already knew the belonging of.

"Alexander" she whispered as she got further and further in from the cliff edge "run"

The man groaned, with a stretch waking up from the momentary nap he had fallen in to. Never expecting what he would wake up to find.

"Alexander" Lilah said again, her breaths getting heavier and more rapid as the seconds went by and the more screwed they became.

"He didn't take it-" Lilah shook, already being able to tell from the way he was approaching them. Like victims, like prey.

"XANDER, RUN" Lilah now screamed at her friend behind her who was only just snapping out of his slumber and into the reality of the situation.

Finally the shadow came into the light, a tall, hulking yet almost scared werewolf was stood right in front of them. 

The moonlight making his flesh almost shine purple to the naked eye, the scars that he had present in the daytime still remaining, his eyes filled with struggle as he tried to keep control of his mind knowing he couldn't. Knowing he was powerless.

Lilah stumbled over her own feet pushing Alexander off to the side, letting him escape or at least attempt to.

The woman fell backwards on to the slightly damp ground, using her hands to pull herself further and further backwards, reaching into her boot for her wand.

She pulled the silver wand out, pointing it directly at the threat in front of her. The person she hated to see that way.

But, her mind went blank; she couldn't think of any spells, she was in shock.

All she could do was yell

Her tone became more agitated, seeing Alexander stood in place, not moving a muscle or attempting to.

"I said run Xander"

The man seemingly woke up from his trance of panic at that statement, withdrawing his own wand, and taking steady steps away from the situation.

"ALEXANDER" She now yelled in a volume level that could only be described as beyond deafening.

The woman pulled herself up from the ground, sending angry hand gestures in Alexander's direction.

She took slow steps backwards in the hope that it would stop her old friend from moving, letting her create a gap. A distance far enough for her to be able to leg it, escape successfully.

The woman thought she had managed this, but how wrong she was. The woman ran, ran as fast as she could off into the forest situated to her left.

But her speed didn't help her lose the creature that lived inside her friend, it awoke it. It followed her with paces ten times faster than she could ever manage.

Lilah wasn't a slow runner, she wasn't Olympian speed either; but she knew there was no way in hell she would manage to beat him, she had to accept this imminent threat, immanent fate.

Lilah's breaths were heavy and rapid when all of a sudden it stopped; she hit a tree, knowing that any little luck she had left was over.

Alexander's eyes widened from the slight clearing at the entrance to the woods he had reached. He couldn't believe his eyes, couldn't quite comprehend. He wanted to do something. Needed to. But, someone, something else beat him to it.

Suddenly a large, scruffy black dog leapt into the air, soaring several feet straight on to the large werewolf about to take a hit to Lilah.

Lilah gasped in shock, seeing the recognisable dog come to her rescue. This was the second time she had seen him now and the second time she'd have to let him get away.

Anger rose through her entire body seeing this man, dog in front of her very own two eyes. She wanted to attack, make him pay but she knew that would only get her killed in these circumstances, and Remus might carry out her wish in this form anyway...

Why did he even save her anyways...? Why did he care...?

Lilah stumbled to her right, away from the dog and wolf that were now fighting each other, sending a glare straight at the dog as she regained her balance. The dog simply ignored it, sending a large, loud bark in her direction, as if he was yelling at her to get away and rolling his eyes internally at her stupidity all at once.

She ran as fast as she could, towards the slight clearing where her friend waited with his arm out ready for her to grab on to, to apparate. They were lucky they were just outside the Hogwarts grounds or else they would've been doomed.

Just as the pair were about to apperate the blond man did something so very irrational, an effort to save a life, even if it was a life of a criminal. He did a wolf sound, taking all of the werewolf's, Remus' attention.

"W-what the fuck" Lilah began to utter, apperating mid sentence.

The pair now landed by a lake in the Lake District which was illuminated by the moonlight.

"You said you had a house around here?" The blonde man asked almost rhetorically.

"Um-um yeah, kind of" The woman stuttered trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Let's go then" the man said in a beyond calm tone.

"I'll ask the questions when we get there..." He added looking at his distracted friend in front of him.


	13. 12 - The Prank On Severus

Anger raged through my veins as I paced and paced outside the main hall.

How dare he do this, how could he do this?

Lily and stood there almost in tears, in disbelief at how cruel Sirius Black could be, with the aim of his prank Severus Snape by her side.

As for me it was no real surprise, Sirius' actions, I saw through him, as if he was transparent.

I just couldn't believe he'd use a friend who was in powerless in his illness, to do that prank. How he could make the nicest boy in the world feel like it was his fault, like he was a monster. I was the first to figure it out in second year, going down to the hospital wing one day, knowing he was there and not visiting his 'sick mother', ignoring Madam Pomfrey's requests for me to leave, and storming in, grabbing Remus' hand to comfort him and blurting out what I knew, the truth. Both of us nearly sobbing, him afraid I'd no longer be his friend anymore and I, pained by the ordeal that the nicest boy in the world had to go through every month.

I think that was why we forged such a close friendship, we shared secrets, we trusted each other, we could decode anything the other was hiding. Not long after my discovery, I helped him break his news to his 4 best friends, letting him know whatever happened I would be there for him, and that he did belong at Hogwarts.

Now, after last night Remus' condition had now been exposed to all our friendship group, and none of our relations with him changed, but our disgust of Sirius grew and grew. I somehow felt like this was my fault.

With Sirius, the majority of us spent our days saying things like 'did you hear something?' whenever he tried to talk to us, unforgiving of this cruel action, this risk to someones life. It was more than just a school prank.

"Lilah, please can you stop pacing, its stressing me out" Severus lifted his head up from the conversation he was having with the angry and upset Lily.

"No, no, no Severus he can't do this and get away with it! We can't let him!" I fumed, beginning to pace faster and faster.

"Ok... Agree, but what does that have to do with you pacing?" He smirked slightly.

I rolled my eyes in response "Ok, ok! I'll stop! But, we need to do something, anything..." I begun to think.

"I want to make him pay, He is going to pay for every girl he has left heart broken, messed around, he is going to pay for the amount of people he has bullied for circumstances they can't change and pure amusement, he is going to pay for manipulating his friends, he is going to pay for making Remus feel like a monster, he is going to pay for what he did to you and every little thing he's ever done to any of us. He-" I ranted, running my hands through my hair in a mixture of frustration and anger, wanting to scream, cry, kick something and hex him all at once.

Suddenly, a deep and quiet voice coughed from behind me, Lily and Severus' faces already dropping in pure shock.

Who could it be?

As I turned on my heels, I almost had a heart attack, long black hair, grey eyes, I was about to explode at the nerve of Sirius Black, but this boy wasn't dressed in red, but green. It wasn't Sirius Black, it was Regulus, his brother and that confused me intensely.

Regulus was a 'good boy' as Sirius had informed us all again and again. He was brainwashed by his parents teachings, wanting to make his parents proud, and do the right thing, but too blinded to see what that actually was.

Why was he talking to us? People like him don't associate with _people like us_.

A Muggle-Born, a 'blood traitor', a Darcy, two Gryffindor's and a half-blood...

It was me in particular I wondered about, he could just ignore Lily if he was that prejudiced, Severus was in his house but I was a 'blood traitor' and a member of the family known to his family as the mortal enemy, why was he here?

"I- I wanted to apologise, I I- know it wasn't me but as much as I may detest it, he's apart of my family and someone has to protect our reputation and our morals, I am truly sorry for his actions, they are truly disgusting" Regulus said slowly in an almost regal vocabulary and accent.

"W-what, how do you know?" Lily suddenly hissed at the younger Black boy shocked and fearful that last nights events were getting out and spreading around Hogwarts, scared of the consequences for all of us, but especially Remus.

"Thank you Regulus, but you really shouldn't have to apologise for him..." Severus said correcting his posture but still speaking quietly.

Regulus smiled in solidarity at Severus while I stood there, in a trance of shock, still staring at the younger Black boy.

He was just about to walk away when he stopped and turned on his heels, walking to me, standing in close proximity.

"Oh... I just forgot, Lilah can I speak to you for a second?"

My jaw dropped practically to the floor. Confusion didn't even begin to describe the emotions I was feeling in relation to Regulus' actions

"Uh-Uh-U sure" I stuttered in sheer shock, all who knew me best knew, I didn't stutter.

Regulus gestured with his head, walking slowly towards a deserted part of the hallway, where no one could hear us.

"I-I couldn't help overhearing that little monologue of yours..." The boy began to say, stuttering and mumbling, obviously as nervous as I was.

"I-I have a little proposition for you, how would you like to get that revenge of yours on my _darling_ brother? With me, as a team?" He asked almost sharply, shocking me immensely.

"But, don't you hate me?" I spluttered "I'm a Darcy and you're you know... A Black. Wouldn't your parents murder you just for speaking to me? You know the family feud, one of our ancestors stabbed and killed the other the night before their wedding day, before our families were supposed to be joined. You know-" I began to word vomit knowledge the younger Black obviously knew.

He laughed slightly, looking up into my eyes. His grey eyes shimmered slightly, the reflection of the chandelier hung just above us in them, wow.... He had really nice eyes, they were so similar to his brothers but you could see a whole different spectrum of emotions in them, a whole different person, hiding behind those eyes.

"Some things are more important than petty feud's..." he smiled, maintaining our eye contact.

The next moment I did something irrational, something too quickly, something that was possibly a mistake, unsure as to why. Was it actually the prospect of revenge, or his grey eyes?

"I'm in"

"Tell me what you have in mind..."

His smile turned into a smirk "Well..."


	14. 13 - Reuniting With Another Darcy

The Darcy girl and her American friend had now been walking for thirty minutes, and were finally beginning to reach their destination, the house lit up in the distance.

However, there was a sense of impending doom and impending excitement both present in the air for Lilah; a sense of emotions she had yet to explain to her friend.

"Uhh Alexander..." Lilah began to mumble knowing she had to tell Alexander the truth, the whole truth, on what was about to go down.

The man suddenly stopped and turned in his tracks to face the girl, he knew that tone, he knew that mumble, he knew she was hiding something from him.

"You know how I said I had a house here.... well" Lilah began to admit, almost stuttering her words.

The man fell into shock, so she didn't have a house around here? So she had been lying for years? Was she completely lying about who she was? His thoughts began to spiral irrationally triggered by the insane events of the past few days.

"No, no no Lilah, no more fun plot twists, oh my god you don't have a house around here?" He said sarcastically, the end of his sentence descending into panic.

"No, no, no! I do, that isn't it. It's just it doesn't quite belong to me?"

"It belongs to my cousin Articus, you know the one who married a muggle and who took me in after my grandma kicked me out of the family and turned everyone against me"

"Oh and... he still thinks I'm dead and possibly thinks I'm a death eater, because I dated one and then his brother who I was friends with got arrested for being secretly one, and killing 13 muggles...  and me, apparently. Surprise"

Alexander turned on his heels, the most deadpan expression imaginable on his face.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me" the man who almost never swore said blankly staring at Lilah as if she was some kind of lunatic.

How the hell could she do this to them both? He knew how unpredictable situations could be, and all he wanted was some transparency, however, that was hard for Lilah; due to the complexity of her situations.

"Look I'm sorry ok! I didn't think things would go this way, I had no idea we'd end up here! I did live here though, after our uncle died, the only uncle who didn't have kids or a wife... and left us both a quarter of the whole Darcy estates. Mother and Grandmother were furious...." Lilah began to ramble about the past.

"After, I got kicked out, three months after Articus did, I lived with James Potter and his family for five months and then after our uncle... We moved here, this house we spent so much of our childhoods at. Articus and Aliyah got married, we celebrated their marriage and all lived here together. A new family. I still feel so guilty my 'death' must've crushed them..." Lilah began to spiral, trying to recite the events of the past in a clear fashion, which was difficult when it was such a complex and levelled scenario.

Alexander blinked several times, his eyes widening still unsure how to react and scared of what could possibly happen "Oh... ok, ok" he stuttered a little, beginning to pace, beginning to stumble.

"So what is the plan, what are we doing, how are we going to break this, this is a major one Lilah"

Lilah Darcy stopped pacing and turned on her heels to face her best friend, rolling her eyes she said sarcastically "you know I never realised that! Thank you for the reminder Alexander"

Lilah then sighed, turning on her heels yet again to face the dark forest and the dark chilling night.

"I'm sorry"  she mumbled.

Even though they were not in wizarding forest, or near anyone known to be a werewolf, the witch still felt at risk; from her experiences trying to help her friend. As after all, most werewolves were not like him.

She needed to think calmly and she needed to get indoors.

She finally turned around again to face her best friend, to be honest with him, to be direct and to share ideas.

"Honestly, I don't know what we are going to do... I think we should just go with whatever situation presents itself to us, and use our intelligence and quick thinking to stay ahead of it, to come up with a solution."

"Intelligence" Alexander chuckled a little "Lilah you are aware you aren't a Ravenclaw and we know for a fact I wouldn't be either, how are we going to outsmart an actual Ravenclaw?"

Lilah rolled her eyes slightly "just because we aren't Ravenclaw's doesn't mean we aren't intelligent, it means we just value actual fun in life more than essays and books" Lilah said smirking, her comments slightly snide.

Alexander rolled his eyes back "I guess it's a plan then... or maybe a non-plan?"

* * *

 

Lilah Octavia Darcy woke up 11 hours later, her arms tied to a chair, a piece of fabric tied around her mouth with her best friend beside her in a similar fashion.

Articus and Aliyah were stood there, unsure how to react at this point. They had to take their precautions which explained why the Darcy girl and American boy were kept not unlike prisoners.

But, today, their precautions weren't necessary. It really was Lilah and... well an American man they'd never seen before.

How was this possible? Was the only thought racking their brains as they waited for Lilah and her American friend to return to a level of consciousness where they were able to properly discuss. How could she rise from the dead? That was impossible. No magic possible could bring Lilah back into their lives. No many prayers, nothing but she was sat tied up in their dining hall, that looked rather more grand than it did when she called it home.

She was home.

12 years on, 13 since they'd actually seen each other; Aliyah and Articus now had two small children, their house was the same in many ways but the Darcy air of grandeur had crept in. Lilah's room was still untouched, but clean, cleaned by Aaliyah and Articus as if it were a room in a museum, an exhibit.

Her heavy blankets lay on her bed, her photos with her ex love Regulus that she tried so hard to hide from the couple, scared of what they may think of her for falling for someone who was essentially their enemy, were now on the side of her old, stained brown desk.

Her vinyl record player was stood next to a copy of Queen II. Gryffindor banners were on her wall, next to a Slytherin one hidden so secretly.

A wrapped package containing a Slytherin quidditch jumper and scarf belonging to her ex love that she wore often when they were together, that she could never open; things he left to her as he saw them as hers now and wanted her to remember him.

A letter from the same man, delivered the day after his death that Lilah could never open, guilt & fear paralysed her then, it still does now.

Photos of her with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black on a rooftop with duvets and snacks watching the stars. Her life was here, her memory, they could never touch it. They wanted to remember her, and now she was here in the flesh and everything felt different and strange.

All they needed was an explanation from a sober Lilah, not one under the influence of the small stash of Veritiserum the pair kept in Articus's office.

"W-w-what the fuc-" Lilah dairy began to choke, to cough as she arose to consciousness. 

Articus rolled his eyes "I could ask you the same thing" he began to stare at the girl, preparing an inner monologue "So.. It's definitely you. We thought you were dead. It's been twelve fucking years Lilah, we mourned you, we remembered you, and you were alive the entire fucking time. You couldn't even shoot us a letter or anything!" 

Articus began to laugh almost manically, pacing back and forth in disbelief and anger as Aliyah watched from the corner unsure how to react, her eyes switching rapidly between her husband and the woman she saw as her sister.

"Then you return, just as your best friend your- I don't even know what he was to you, your boyfriends brother? Our family enemy? A death eater? A casual lover?" 

Lilah's eyes widening as he finished his sentence "Woah, woah, woah. Casual lover?" Lilah protested.

Articus rolled his eyes once again looking deadly into Lilah's eyes "Oh please, you two never spent a single moment apart in 4 fucking years, if he didn't have his arm wrapped around you, you'd be wandering around his kitchen half dressed in his clothes laughing about some inside joke you both had. Now, let me finish my point!" he quickly said, annoyed that Lilah had interrupted his trail of thought. 

"Just as he escapes from Azkaban for murdering you and others and betraying your shared friends. But, oh here's the real twist apparently you didn't help him, you have nothing to do with him and this escape but, you're now on this mad hunt to kill him with some random American?"

"The- the names Alexander" the witch's shy American friend snuffled as he returned to consciousness. "Sorry to be a bother, but what the hell just happened, why does my head hurt, why am I tied up?" 

Lilah just laughed as if this was usual "Veritiserum and a memory charm, a charm that they seem to have forgotten to do on me" she smirked at Atricus, as if she enjoyed it. The torture, the familiarity of this situation or perhaps just teasing her cousin once again. 

"Fuck, I knew we forgot to do something" Aliyah mumbled from the corner, looking over at her smallest child hidden in a cot in the corner, as Articus turned around to give her a look that could only be described as - 'why didn't you remind me!?' 

"Childsplay" Lilah smirked, shrugging at them. Her trauma and experiences of war more evident than usual. How this could be seen as normality for anyone is insane, but for Lilah it was the last 'normality' in her homeland she could remember.

"Ok you can shut the fuck up, you have no right to be this smug. You're the one in the, I don't even know, wrong? Here. Are you a sadist now is that it? Is that why you tortured us for all this time, is that why you're now enjoying this unfortunately necessary pain we had to make you endure?" Aliyah now began to speak, almost choking up several times mid sentence. She'd never be able to describe to her 'sister' what her 'death' did to her and their family. 

Lilah sighed to herself realising she had once again fucked up. "No, no, no that's not it at all. Its a good thing you both have forgotten how to do this, it shows how much the world has healed since I was last here. How much peace you've gotten to have as a family, it makes me happy, it is amusing too as I feel like I'm suddenly back to when I was twenty two, when even in the darkness I was still teasing good old cousin dearest.. it" Lilah began to ramble, no idea where her sentence would end up,  no idea where her thoughts were going or why they were leaving her mouth like vomit, something she couldn't control.

Aliyah was suddenly the other side of the room, her arms embraced around Lilah, her 'sister' and the chair she was still tied to. 

"I missed you" she simply said.

"I miss you too" Lilah mumbled in response. She truly had. 


	15. 14 - The Library

"Why the hell am I here" I groaned from the wobbling, wooden library chair, accidentally verbalising my thoughts to the strangest of company.

The strangest company - Regulus Black, who found my word vomiting the most amusing, as he closed his book and slumped up from his head down focused position, smirking, and pushing his hair out of his face, mirroring his brother eerily "You know why. Because we both have a taste for revenge and intelligent enough minds to pull it off"

"You have repeated that, over and over but where is our plan? We seem to just sit here talking about the same things over and over and over again. I don't know why either we have absolutely nothing in common, you're the 'golden child' I'm well.. Not. You're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor and don't get me started on political views... There's a reason I've been dodging that topic, I'm not prepared for an argument today..."

Regulus rolled his eyes, I was pretty sure he was realising the absurdity of this situation inside just like I, but he wanted to hide it for his ulterior motive - this plan.

"Isn't it sweet, hate overrules all of that" He said jokingly.

I rolled my eyes so far they probably hit the back of my skull. This whole situation was strange.

Firstly, the Black golden boy was sat here with the Darcy black sheep despite all the connotations and history and issues that drew. Secondly, the character I drew out of Regulus. The boy was the epitome of a Virgo, he couldn't be anything else if he tried, but, recently, around me, he was... _different_. He reminded me so much of Sirius during these library meetings it was eerie and it wasn't right. It felt as if he had two different distinct personalities. By the river at night, when we pretend to be training for quidditch together as the two 'best' seekers (but are secretly scheming) he was Regulus, the Virgo stereotype, the boy who was raised in a strict household where all the rules were clean cut, a boy balancing the heavy weights of his family's expectations on both his shoulders. He was uptight, he was judgemental, protective, organised, meticulous in every task he set out upon, he was reliable, analytical of every situation with advice that was sometimes insensitive and unwarranted - but he meant no harm. He was modest of his talents, his intelligence, while also self aware of those skills to an extent. He was traditional but respectful. Frankly, he reminds me of my father, and as someone who thought she didn't have daddy issues, I'm thinking perhaps I should re-evaluate.

Here he was different and I had absolutely no idea why.

"Why do you have two entirely different personalities" I accidentally blurted my thoughts straight out of my mouth once again. I really need to work on that.

He just stared back at me perplexed.

"What do you mean?' he asked suddenly becoming the uptight Regulus I knew so well once again.

I sighed, shoving my head into my hands and sitting up oh so straight "I-I didn't mean to say that aloud"

Regulus scoffed "I figured..." staring coldly deep into my eyes. His stare penetrated so deep I felt like he could see straight into my soul.

"I-I mean look, please don't take this the wrong way-" I began to explain in a way that was less than ideal, I'm not good with this truthful emotional thing.

"Then don't give me anything I can take the wrong way" He crossed his arms, sat upright and stared at my even more intensely than beforehand, his grey eyes were almost chilling sometimes, even though all that was ever behind them was pain when they scared me this way.

"You, you you're a very put together person usually, you have a very clear personality" I began to explain struggling to know how to word this.

"Its very distinct... But, you seem different some nights, like now. Normally you'd mess with me through sarcasm or some other colder.. More detached method, but this is.. different" I struggled to say what I meant even further but Regulus understood what I meant instantaneously and I didn't want to see his reaction, I kept my head down for several moments before he said "I remind you of him like this" a slight tone of disgust to his voice. Who am I kidding? A heavy tone of disgust, I felt there wasn't anything more offensive I could've possibly said... Or not said?

Regulus' chair made a heavy sound on the floor as he dragged it out and stood up, him slamming his heavy, hard backed book closed once again much to the dismay of Madam Pince who shushed loudly and looked like she wanted to shoot the boy with a sniper.

"Regulus" I got up and grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him leaving. I didn't want him to leave, I didn't want to offend him, I didn't want to...

As my hand met his arm everything felt like it stopped for a few seconds and there were nothing but pure intensity, his deep stare penetrating my soul and mine his. We looked so deeply into each others eyes not sure what we were going to see behind them, not sure if we wanted to know what we were going to see. I saw pain, I think he saw regret, regret at my words, my brutal honesty.

He then moved his arm away from me, as if my touch burned him.

"Please.." He began his sentence gently before changing entirely.

"Don't touch me" he spat, looking harshly yet apologetically, apologetically deep down, back as me as he walked, away as he walked out.

"Regulus" I whisper shouted, not caring about what Pince would do to me, or about her intense glare.

He didn't look back again.

I sulked back into my chair, annoyed at myself, upset at myself for not being able to keep my comments, my thoughts to myself and unable to think about what they may mean to others.

But then, it dawned on me. Why did I care to begin with? I didn't with any of my other friends, why was this relationship so strangely different?

Those were questions I don't think I was ready for the answers to.

So I sat there, swept up by my own confusing, conflicting, emotions in this room that was less than comforting and familiar to me.

After all, the library always brought us trouble.. Just 3 days later I would...

But first, perhaps, it would be better to let you know the lead up...

_3 weeks earlier,_

_the past 3 weeks_


End file.
